One final breath
by Shadow Strabi-star22
Summary: What's it like to be truly free? Sonya Reizen experienced first hand the power of the Empire, the tragic death of her brother and the massacre of the enslaved mine workers. As he lay dying, Roan gives his sister a dog tag which ends up being a rare Teigu whose powers are still unknown. Gaining trust from a group of assassins, Sonya has one clear goal in mind: Obliterate the Empire.
1. Chapter 1: Kill the hatred

**A/N**: Another idea...I have got to stop producing ideas...sigh. Anyways, enjoy regardless!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. Akame ga Kiru belongs to the rightful owners.

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**Chapter 1: Kill the hatred  
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They say that there's no such thing as freedom. Weak humans live like cattle, shackled, chained and bullied to do the bidding of the stronger ones. And yet...why am I so obsessed on achieving just that? Why am I driven by this force to continue fighting for something that had a slim chance of being obtaining? The Capital has been shackling their inhabitants beneath the noses of the public, ruled with an iron fist and tortured their enemies till they're dead. The only way to survive is to obliterate the weak or at least that is what the prime minister constantly bitch about over the radio. 'The strongest last longer. The only role the weak serve is to die a gruesome death for their uselessness' his words stirred a lot of hatred and there were rebellions. Unfortunately the elites-a group called Jaegars lead by General Esdese- appeared and quelled them. It was horrid and inhumane. The terrified screams of men, women and children filled the sky, the smell of death hung in the air as the bodies were nailed on wooden post for all to see. I worked in the mines at another location, hauling my cart filled with dirt to and from the site. My older brother Roan was three years older than I was, an odd ball but a great guy with a heart full of justice. He was charged with digging. We heard tales about those villages caught in the cross fire of the Rebellion Army and the Capital from time to time.

"And then, BAM!" The story-teller smacked his hands together one night. "Gone! General Esdese wiped out every single person in her path after giving them torture as punishment. She is such a sadistic psychotic bitch if you ask me. They say that she basically showers in her victim's blood with a grin on her face."

"Damn...this world is slowly coming to an end." Another guy commented, placing a cigarette in his mouth and lighting it. "Like hell I'll die a gruesome death by her hands. She can suck my dick."

"You won't be able to get the chance cause you'll die in an instant. She has what they call a 'Teigu'."

"What is a Teigu?" Roan asked, intrigued by the story.

"Teigu are super weapons created by the empire. It's said that about half of them are lost in history, there are only forty-eight of them in this world; all different shapes and sizes."

"Is it possible for a Teigu user to kill the Prime Minister with one of those weapons?"

"SHHH!" The group quickly looked around before fixating their scared looks on him. "You're so lucky none of our guards heard that! You could be hung for spouting such words."

"Sorry." Roan scratched the back of his head. "But is it possible."

"There is a possibility but the opportunity to strike is slim to none. The bastard's private guards are Teigu users, we stand no chance against them. We've been in this mine enslaved against our will before you kids appeared. If we had a chance to fight back, we could have. However this lifestyle started to grow on us so it feels...normal." The story-teller shook his head with a laugh. "Look at me, look at us. Acting and working like mules for the Capital, toiling away till we die. Hearing your words is like a fresh glass of water, it's refreshing. It's getting late and you kids need to go to bed. Tomorrow is a busy day as usual." This was met with groans and mumbles from the others as they filed to their sleeping quarters, giving the two kids nods or encouraging. To them, having rambunctious kids around cheered them up from the tedious work. To Roan and I, these miners were a second family.

"Right! Come along Sonya." My brother held out his hand for me to take. "Let's do our best like we always do."

"Yes!" Smiling I took his hand. Little did I know that was going to be the last time I would ever hold my brother hand.

"Sonya, take these to the dump area." Roan told me the next day, piling in a bunch of dirt and rocks into the cart. The sun was pretty high but the workers never stopped working. Using the towel around my neck to wipe away my sweat, I nodded. The Capital even modified so that even humans could pull it; it's like a Rickshaw except with four wheels. Bidding my brother good-bye, I quickly pulled the cart out, kicking up dust as I left the site in a run. The dumping area was quite far but I managed to arrive in good time. Backing the cart up, I moved to the back and unhinged the door. Dirt and rocks slowly exited the end, flowing like a grainy river down to the bottom. Once the last particle of dirt left, I closed it up and made my way back to the mines. The first thing that caught my attention was the stench, my nose quickly puckered up and I had to resist a gag. It smelled like charred human remains. Ditching the cart, I ran through the wooden post and stopped dead. Bodies laid strewn on the ground; the visceral gleamed in the sun as if waiting for the flies to land. Dismembered heads whose eyeballs were wide with shock stared at me. Clasping my hands over my mouth, I ran out and threw up in a patch of grass. Once I was done emptying the contents I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Steeling my courage I wondered back in and began to search for my brother. I grimaced when I stepped in a pool of dark crimson blood but I reminded myself that my brother was my top priority. Rummaging around, I ended up in the middle of the mines and that's where I found him. My dear brother Roan, impaled on a stake with half his body missing. It looked as though they removed his legs and his right arm; his eyes were closed and I could tell that he had endured a lot of whippings, the marks were evident on his body.

"Brother..." I sank to my knees, looking at him through blurry eyes. "Can you...hear me?"

"S...S...Son...Sonya..is that...you?" His voice came out in a choked whisper. He opened his eyes and fixed their gaze on me. My sadness overwhelmed me for my brother was now blind.

"Roan!Yes I'm here! I'm here Roan!" I clasped his left hand with my own and gave it a small kiss.

"I'm...sorry. Your...brother...won't make it." He stopped to cough, blood coming out in small clots. "T-t-they...came...out...of...n-nowhere. It was...madness."

"Please! Don't talk! Save your strength while I'll go and get a doctor, you'll be safe!" I stood up and turned only to feel him latch on to my wrist. Turning around I gave him a pleading look but he shook his head slightly.

"N...no. Don't...be...stupid...You already...know...this...is...already...fatal." Removing his hand, he pointed at a pile of rubble on my right. "You...see that...rock?"

"The one you always said looked like an ass?"

"Yes...that one." He chuckled softly. "There's an...opening...go...inside. There will...be...a pile...of freshly...piled...dirt. Dig...and...you'll...find something...I found in...this mine." Leaving his side, I quickly found the entrance and crawled in. Noticing the pile he was talking about I started digging, the splinters and rocks bit at my hands but I didn't care. It wasn't a deep hole but it never attracted any attention from thieves or travelers, kudos to Roan for finding the perfect spot. My fingers finally brushed against something small and I took out the object.

"Here! It's a box!" I hurried back and placed it in his hand, hoping that I wasn't too long. My brother fumbled with it before grasping it tightly.

"Please...open it." Popping open the lid, I saw something shiny. I guided my brother's fingers and he took out the item. It looked like a dog tag with some weird writing on the back. He traced the letters and smiled.

"What is it brother? What are these letters?" I asked.

"R-r-remember that...story...yesterday? The...one about...T-Teigu?...I...found...this...embedded. ...in...the...rocks...these...words...are...ancient...Sadly...I don't...h-have...the...k-knowledge...to... ...decipher...them." Another coughing spasm rocked his body.

"Don't go! Please! It can't end this way!" I placed my head on his chest, holding him tight.

"Sorry...little...sis." He placed his arm around me, I didn't care if his blood was staining my body all I wanted was for him to be by my side. "Your...big...bro...is going...on...a-a-a-." His breath hitched and he spoke no more, his hand became limp at his side.

"Brother?" I lifted my head and gently shook him. The dog tag laid on the ground as I attempted to wake him up. "Come on, this isn't funny. Brother!" I shook him harder but deep within my heart I knew he passed on. I sat there, holding his hand until coldness took a hold of him. No more tears could be shed at this point. It took awhile but my body moved on its own and I found myself removing his body from the stake. I dragged his body to my cart, a trail of blood right behind me. Laying him gently on the wood, I made my way to our secret hideout. It was a small cave but the natural lighting was beautiful. I carried him up the steps, each step I took felt like eternity. Finding a good place I started digging. Satisfied at the size, I placed him gently within, crossing his only arm over his chest. Filling the hole back up I grabbed a slab of cement and carved words on its face, a sweet epitaph to be exact. Wedging it on the head, I stood back to look at my make-shift grave. With the sun shining from behind, it looked like a giant halo. I never realized it but I had my left hand clenched tightly for some time now. I unfurled my fingers and I found myself staring at the dog tag in my palm.

"Roan...your death will not be in vain. Thanks for being by my side all these years, for protecting me when our parents abandoned us. Remember when we had our first bath?" I couldn't stop my tears from coming but I let them. "We were so carefree back then. When our parents abandoned us, you carried me all the way here on your back, regardless of the pain. You walked through it all and by the end your feet were raw and bloodied. But you never gave up hope, you even found us a job. I remembered when you picked a fight with the boss because he said that we were a bit young but you firmly believed that we could survive here. Roan, are you in a better place now? Has your pain...healed?" I looked out the window and as if he was answering my questions a warm breeze brushed past me, toying with my hair. I felt as though Roan's spirit wrapped his arms around me, embracing me in a warm light. I smiled, "Thank you, it would seem...that I am still left in this hell just a little longer. Good bye brother." Bowing, I turned on my heels and walked away. Loading my cart with whatever I could salvage from the mines, I took one last look at the cave then at the dog tag around my neck. The blood stains on the back, likely from Roan, fueled my increasing hatred for the Capital.

* * *

_Two years later..._

I traveled for days and on my journey I saw things like I did back at the mines. Each place much more devastating than the last. As I remained in hiding, I witnessed the brutal strength of the Capital. They showed no mercy as they pillaged a non-violent village. Oh the horrid screaming! I had to bite myself to keep from going insane.

_Hell hath no fury like the Capital conducting a massacre without batting an eyelash. How disgusting! _I thought after they staked the last head on a pike. After laughing, jeering and saying crude things they left. Wandering out, I approached the dismembered heads with sadness settling in the pit of my stomach. After saying a few words, I rummaged around to see what I could dig up. I figured out that I would start my life as a merchant. My business was going well as the villages that weren't ruined yet had good merchandise.

"I'd be careful if I were you dearie." A nice woman told me as I traded some fur for clothes. "Traveling merchants are having trouble making some dough now that the Capital has increased security." She placed a bag of coins in my hands and when I started to protest ,she held out a hand. "Please take it. I have enough to keep me alive."

"Thank you. I'll keep that in mind." I replied and continued on. The fact was, she wasn't kidding. Guards and patrols have increased and I encountered brutal treatment on the trails. There were broken wagons, bloodied corpses left to rot. Seeing these mishaps made my blood boil but I kept it inside. The moment wasn't right. I kept fingering the dog tag underneath the dirty cloak I was wearing, keeping the memory of Roan fresh in my mind. I finally arrived at the Capital, the massive pillars of white marble towered over me and pointed outward toward the west.

"Halt! State your name and purpose!" The guard ordered me as I pulled up with my cart. He eyed me suspiciously, calling over some more guards to do a check. "And don't attempt any funny business, this is mandatory check of all items coming in."

"My name is Sonya Reizen, I am 16 years old." I spoke calmly as they searched me for weapons before moving off to my cart. "and my purpose is to break out of these shackles and obtain freedom."


	2. Chapter 2: Kill the Darkness

**A/N**: Chapter 2 of _One final breath_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. Akame ga Kiru belongs to the rightful owner.

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**Chapter 2: Kill the Darkness**

_Outside the capital walls..._

"Obtain freedom?" The guard looked at his buddies before cracking up laughing. "Hahahaha! What kind of purpose is that?"

"A great purpose that you would never achieve." I replied.

"Yeah yeah whatever." He waved his hand dismissively and ushered me along. "Just take your merchandise and stay out of trouble." Pulling the hood of my cloak over my head, I made my way into the city. I couldn't believe my eyes at how many people were around me; people of different sizes, shapes and races. I placed my right hand over my heart, feeling the palpitating beat from within my chest. I could faintly smell the rotten stench of death lingering in the air but I didn't mind. I was so preoccupied with my thoughts that I didn't see where I was going and I bumped into someone.

"Ouch, that hurts." Came the voice.

"I'm sorry. Are you okay?" I knelt down to help the person up. Taking a closer inspection the person was actually a young boy with green eyes and medium length brown hair. He dusted off his jacket and flashed me a smile.

"It's fine, it's fine. Sorry about that, it was my fault actually since I was too busy looking at this amazing place." He held out a hand. "My name is Tatsumi, what's yours?"

"Sonya Reizen, a pleasure to make your acquaintance." I replied, shaking his hand firmly.

"Is that all of your processions?" He pointed to my cart.

"Apparently yes. I didn't come from a wealthy family."

"That would explain your clothing." He glanced at my attire, noting the dirty cloak. "Is that all that you're wearing?"

"If I said yes I would hope you aren't a pervert." I growled angrily. "I am wearing my undergarments but I need to buy some new ones soon."

"Well deal with that later then. Let's walk together, I'm sure there's a shop we can go to buy some new clothes for you."

"Do you have money for clothes?" I asked. Laughing, he opened his knapsack and showed me his coin bag.

"As a fighter, I do odd jobs such as hunting risk species. These hunts also include rewards so I get by. Oh! That looks like a good shop, let's go in." After making sure that my cart wouldn't be stolen I followed him in. The smell of perfume bombarded my nose and I immediately pinched my nose shut. I wasn't use to such sweet scents since I've worked in a mine most of my life. Tatsumi browsed through the racks until he came upon the perfect combination. Hurrying over, he presented it proudly and I couldn't help but smile.

"I'll go put this on." I excused myself and disappeared into the changing room. After a few minutes I stepped out and looked in the mirror. The white tank-top hugged my figure nicely while the black sweatpants fitted nicely around my waist. The dog tag still hung around my neck. Thinking that there was something amiss, I spotted a black and blue jacket hoodie-its design resembling that of Assassin's Creed 3-and wore it over the tank top.

"Looking hot Sonya. I like it!" Tatsumi nodded his approval. "I'll go pay for you."

"Please don't, you picked this outfit for me. I'll handle it." I assured him and went to pay. As we explored the town, he told me about his village and how he was aiming to become big and earn money to fight off the poverty. We stopped at a few places but they kicked us out. Tatsumi kicked up some dirt in frustration and sat down on the curb. I sat down beside him and we tried to brainstorm some more ideas.

"You guys seem to be in trouble. Should this Onee-san here lend you a hand?" A voice spoke behind us. Turning around we spotted a young woman smiling at us. She had short blond hair with two long bangs that framed the sides of her head. A scarf was wrapped around her neck and I noticed that she had large breasts. Tatsumi noticed it too since he was busy plugging up his nose. My hands unconsciously flew up to my chest and I frowned at their average size. Intrigued by this stranger, we had to treat her to a meal in order to get the information so we ended up at a bar.

"Alcohol in the daytime hits the spot!" She slammed her drink down with a silly grin on her face.

"Just tell me how I can get commissioned." Tatsumi said. I picked at my food with my fork.

"Ohh, that's basically connections and cash." She smiled. Showing her the bag of coins, her gaze lit up like a light bulb. "This'll get you to captain without delay. Well, I think it'll be okay with about 4/5 of this." She shouldered the money and got up from the table. Walking away but turning her head back to give us a wink she said, "I think you'll learn a lot from your meeting with me, young lad! M'kay I'll go settle this so wait for me here."

"Okay!" Tatsumi replied happily. Something in the pit of my stomach told me that this was a scam but I didn't say a word. After about 10 hours my patience started to run thin as well as Tatsumi's. The bar tender told us that he watched the entire thing: Tatsumi's money was taken.

"Cheer up Tatsumi, I'm sure that's the last time we'll see her." I turned my head to console him. He was so sad that I offered him a ride. I don't know where we should go but I was certain that fate would show us the way.

"Those boobs...I mean, Womaaaaaaan!" He cried out-loud, shaking his fist. "This is what she meant by learn!?" He was so lost in his rage that I decided to leave him alone. The sound of horse hoofs behind me caught my attention before the voice did.

"Oh hang on stop the carriage." It was a sweet voice and I halted, turning my head to the side to come face to face with a horse. Tatsumi looked to the side to see the owner sitting up front, her blond hair cascading down her angelic face. By the looks of it she was an aristocrat young woman. She turned to face her guard and asked, "Do those guys have a place to stay?"

"Apparently not my lady." He said before whispering in a disgusting manner. "Not again, we're running a bit late. You just had visitors last week as well."

"I'm sorry but it's in my nature." Hopping off, she approached us. "Did you guys come from the country?"

"Yeah..." I replied, giving Tatsumi a blank look. We were starting to be weary of strangers, especially after the little blunder with that Onee-sama.

"If you don't have a place to stay, do you want to come to my house?" Her innocent look rubbed off on us and since she was offering us a place to stay we didn't want to say no. "Before I forget, my name is Aria." She hopped back into the carriage. "Let's go, they'll follow behind."

"Let's go Sonya." Tatsumi said and I nodded, pushing my cart after the carriage.

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_Aria's House..._

When we arrived at Aria's place my mouth gaped open...sorry both of us had our mouths open. Magnificent gates laced with gold while shimmering lights from the massive mansion beckoned us closer. I left my cart on their lawn and followed Tatsumi inside. If you thought the outside was amazing, the inside was astounding. Tatsumi and I couldn't keep ourselves from staring.

"Ahh," The man sitting across a beautiful woman turned to see us. "Aria brought someone in again."

"What a habit." The woman chuckled. "I wonder how many it's been now."

"Thank you very much for bringing us in!" Tatsumi and I bowed low, showing them our deepest gratitude.

"It's okay, it's okay. Make yourselves at home." Aria smiled.

"If we help people out, the happiness will eventually come back to us, right?" The older woman chuckled.

"Mom!" Aria stated. "That's not the reason I'm doing it for!"

"Joking, joking" Aria's mother waved her hand dismissively. "Now you said your name was Sonya?" That caught my attention and I nodded. She rose and walked up to me. Taking me by the arm she ushered me out the room. "I'll just be a minute, I want to show her around."

"Don't be long mother." Aria chastised. "I want to spend sometime with our guest as well." Sending her daughter a kiss, she pulled me out and closed the door. Tatsumi took that time to explain his situation. Aria's father nodded and told him that he would write a recommendation to a friend the next morning.

"In the mean time be my bodyguard, with the others too!" Aria clapped her hands in glee. "Oh! I'll make sure Sonya knows that she is also going to be my bodyguard as well."

"That sounds great! Gauri-kun, I'll let you handle it!" Aria's father spoke to his top guard.

"Understood." He replied.

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_Next morning..._

We woke up to the crowing of the roosters, rubbing the sleep out of our eyes. After a hearty breakfast with the family, Aria ushered everyone out of the house, except her father who had his own private matters. I pulled my cart after her carriage out of habit; it's like the cart is a part of me without it I wouldn't feel whole. Tatsumi walked beside me and even offered to pull if I got tired.

"It's okay, I got it." I smiled.

"Hurry! Hurry! There's a sale at the store across the street!" Aria squealed excitedly. So not only did I lug around my own merchandise, I had to carry her shopping items as well. And man did she buy a ton of stuff. While she was doing some window shopping, we made some small talk with Gauri.

"Look up," he told us. "That's the center of the capital...the Palace." It looked like a cathedral.

"Humongous...!" Tatsumi reeled back from the shock. "Is that where the Emperor who controls the country is!?"

"No..." Gauri leaned closer, glancing left and right to make sure no one was around to hear. It must be so confidential that it perked my interest."It's a little different...there's an emperor, but he's a child right now...the one that controls that emperor from the shadows—the Minister is the ringleader that's rotting this country."

_The Prime Minister...probably the mastermind and the one who ordered General Esdese to..._I gritted my teeth in silence, branding his name in the back of my mind. Tatsumi was about to say something to that but Gauri quickly covered his mouth.

"Whoa there, don't make any noise, all right? Heads will be rolling if you're heard."

"Then the reason my village is suffering from heavy taxes..." Tatsumi curled his fingers tightly into a fist.

"It's the Capital's common sense. There are guys like that as well." Gauri jabbed his thumb toward a brick wall. There were three pieces of paper, each one picturing very shady looking characters.

"Night Raid?" We looked at the wanted posters with interest, reading the title.

"It's the group of assassins that's rattling the whole capital. Just as their name implies, they conduct nocturnal attacks on their targets. They mainly target high-ranking or wealthy individuals in the capital. Prepare yourself, just in case."

"Yes!" Tatsumi replied while I nodded in agreement.

"Also...go do something about that for now." He directed our attention to where some of Aria's guards were straining underneath a heavy box. That night, Aria's mother walked down the halls with a weird book in her arms.

"Now then...Maybe I'll make a diary entry today as well..." She released a small laugh, "I really can't stop this hobby of mine...Huh?" Because she was so lost in her fantasy she failed to notice a person approaching. She gasped as she found her top half removed from her lower half. A strange woman gazed at the corpse before walking off, a blood stained weapon in her hands.

Tatsumi's eyes snapped open, taking in the darkness around him. His senses were tingling, his instincts kicking in. "What's this?!...Bloodthirst!?" He grabbed his sword and bolted out of his room. I was wrapped in the sheets slumbering away when I heard pounding on the door. Stumbling out of my comfortable cocoon, I opened the door and looked at Tatsumi's serious face. Changing clothes quickly I followed after him in haste. He stopped just in front of the window and gestured for me to look. There were five silhouettes standing outside the window, it looks as if they were walking on air but if you looked closer they were standing on thread...a lot of thread. They were Night Raid; their gaze void of all emotions. Below the guards were busy yelling orders.

"Eliminate." The girl named Akame spoke and she made her move. The guards stood no chance, one by one they fell like flies to Akame's sword.

"Come on Sonya! We have to save Aria-san." Tatsumi led the way to the outside garden. My senses were on alert after I saw blood shed.

"Aria-san!" I shouted as soon as we saw the girl. She was being dragged along by a lone soldier. We were interrupted by the appearance of Akame; she is apparently the leader of this little gang and her eyes were already trained are Aria.

"Sonya go with them. I'll stay behind and slow her down." Tatsumi unsheathed his sword and faced his opponent. I nodded and took the lead, prompting the other two to follow. That's when Akame made her move, chasing after us. Tatsumi held his sword and stood in her path, determination gleaming in his green eyes.

"Not a target." She said, jumping over him and using his shoulder as leverage.

"Fuck!" The guard shouted as he looked back. "She's coming over here!" Raising his gun, he fired out of fear and missed...all of his bullets missed. Akame took his life with one swing, splashing the ground red. Aria backed up as she saw the assassin approach her slowly. As she lifted her sword, I rushed forward and shoved her away from Aria. The two of us gazed at one other in apprehension.

"You are not a threat, stay out of my way." She threatened.

"You're about to kill her right?" I pointed a finger at her. "I can't let you do that."

"Then...I'll eliminate you!" She rushed forward so fast that I nearly had a double take. _Such speed! How can someone move so fast?! Is she even human?_ I tried to watch her movements with my own eyes but to no avail, I couldn't keep up. My instincts kicked in and I ducked, watching the blade sail over my head. Predicting this, she lashed out with her foot, catching my unprotected stomach. Sliding back, I watched as she closed the distance between us once more, her fist smacking me right between my eyes. I reared back, my hands flew immediately to my face. Taking advantage of my disorientation she gripped the front of my shirt and threw me to the ground. Gasping and wheezing from the impact, I laid there for a few minutes before rolling over with a groan.

"I must commend you for lasting this long." She said, watching me stagger to my feet. I firmly stood my ground and shook my dizziness away. "However with this last strike your life belongs to me." Rushing forward, she swung her sword in a downward arc that slashed down my front. My reaction was too slow.

_Am...I...gonna die? _Suddenly time slowed down, I watched my blood spill out of my body, watched as some of it splattered onto the assassin's face, watched as my shirt turned red. _Can this...really...be happening?_ I staggered back with my hand clutching the wound. _I...I...I...I can't die. I haven't...avenged my brother. _At that thought my eyes snapped and everything around me disappeared. In the darkness that surrounded me the faint beating of my heart murmured in my ear, straining to pump blood through my veins. _That's right...my brother...Roan. I have to...kill your killer. I can't...die from such a petty wound. If you are watching me from heaven...please...give me...a sign... _I wrapped my hands around the dog tag and sank to my knees. By now I have a large puddle of blood surrounding me but I could no longer feel the pain. The dog tag pulsated within my palms, it felt alive. Akame watched calmly before lifting her sword.

"Now be gone."

"Sonya-chan!" Aria shrieked as the whistle of the blade came down to cleave my head straight off my shoulders.

"Halt." The word slipped from my lips and the blade stopped just above my head. Akame narrowed her eyes as she strained to move her arms but she couldn't. Taking a step back, she tried again but her arms refused to obey her.

"What did you do?" She growled.

"Kneel." I watched as she sank to her knees though she did resist at first.

"What is this magic...Grrrrr!" She snapped at me but her knees were glued to the ground. "Fuck! Release me this instant!"

"You will get what you deserve..." I replied, raising my hand and held it in front of her face. I could tell that her mind was racing. "Judge." Immediately my spiritual aura spiked through the roof and the intense pressure in my hand started to hurt. I felt the power, the desire and the emotion. Nothing could ruin this perfect moment.

"Akame!" A flash of yellow darted in front of my sight and this woman appeared, shielding Akame with her very body and soul. "If you harm a hair on her head, you'll have to answer to me!" Her fierce gaze pierce my own.

"If that is what you wish." I replied.

"Sonya, wait!" Something came flying from the side and bawled me over. The two of us crashed to the ground, the power in my hand fired a beam up to the sky. Just as it vanished, the pressure lifted and everyone let out a huge sigh of relief.

"T-Tatsumi? What's going on?" I asked, watching as he scrambled off to the side.

"You looked kind of possessed, and creepy. You were going to destroy the entire area...and I knew that...if I didn't stop you, you would have done something you would regret later." He explained, helping me sit up.

"Since you stopped her, I guess I will take the initiative." Akame gripped her sword and got into an attack stance. Tatsumi quickly stepped forward with his sword drawn. He knew that I was in no shape to continue fighting after that massive attack and although he was afraid to admit it, he would gladly fight in my steed.

"Hang on." The strange woman held Akame back from killing us.

"What are you doing?" Akame asked.

"We still have time, right? I owe that young lad a favor. I want to pay you back." She winked and at that moment Tatsumi and I recognized her.

"You're the Boob...!" Tatsumi accused angrily as he remembered what she did to him.

"Leone." I spoke, remembering her name properly.

"Yep, the beautiful Onee-san from that time." She chuckled. Feasting her cat-like eyes on the storage building behind us, she calming walked up to the locked door. "Youngsters, you told us not to kill an innocent girl, but can you guys still say that after seeing this?" Using her claws, she smashed the door down and stood aside to let us see. "Take a look...this is the darkness of the capital."

"What the hell...is that?" Tatsumi's eyes widened in terror. Before us looked like a slaughter house. Corpses of men and women chained to instruments of torture, their mouths opened at their last horror. More corpses where chained to the walls and in the back, a bunch of moaning. There were still living people waiting to be murdered and they were together, caged in like animals.

"They lure unidentified people who came from the country with their sweet words and subject them to their hobby of torture and toy with them until they die. That's the true nature of those of this household..." Leone explained with disgust. There was one corpse on the wall that captured Tatsumi's attention: a girl with a flower in her hair, her body ravaged with terrible wounds and it looked as though her right leg was ripped off at the thigh.

"Hey Sayo... Sayo!" He called up to her, hoping that she would reply to him but she didn't.

"Hmmm...it appears there was someone he knew." Leone spoke before she noticed that Aria was trying to slink away. "Nuh uh, you're not getting off the hook by running away, Little lady."

"The people of this house did this?" Tatsumi's voice came out as a whisper.

"That's right. The guards were keeping quiet about it so they're similarly guilty."

"It...It's a lie!" Aria's voice shook as she tried to deny the accusation. "I didn't know there was a place like this! Are you going to believe me, the one that saved you two, or these guys, Tatsumi? Sonya!?" I couldn't even find my voice as the scene before me regurgitate the very memory I longed to forget from the deepest parts of my mind: Roan's murder.

"Ta...tsu...mi...Tatsumi, right? It's me..." A frail voice spoke and a bloodied hand reached out shakily towards us. He was a boy about the same age as us and he was covered in terrible wounds.

"I...Ieyasu!?" He replied in shock.

"That girl invited Sayo and me...and after we ate, we lost consciousness. And we were here when we came to." Ieyasu's voice shook and tears flowed down his face. "Th...that girl...She tortured Sayo to death...!"

"Wh...what's so wrong with that!?" Aria wiggled out of Leone's grip and had this psychopathic expression on her face. "You're just worthless hicks from the country, right!? The same as cattle! I should be free to treat them however I want! Besides, that girl was so impertinent for having such straight hair for a farm animal! Even though I'm troubled with such unruly hair! That's why I agonized her so meticulously! In fact, she should be grateful I took such good care of her!" I stared at Sayo's calm, peaceful and bloodied face as I heard those disgusting words, my hands shaking with boiling rage. I could tell Tatsumi was beyond angry. Whirling around like a mad beast, he cut Aria down with one slash. The aristocrat woman failed to utter a final word as she crumpled to the ground dead.

"He didn't even bat an eyelash...how merciless." Leone stated.

"Ha...that's Tatsumi...for you." Ieyasu cracked a smile before a serious coughing fit seized his body and he fell to the ground.

"What's wrong Ieyasu!?" Tatsumi quickly knelt down and held his friend up.

"It's the last stages of Lubora disease..." Akame explained. "The mistress here enjoyed putting people on drugs and writing how they were doing in a diary...He can't be saved anymore."

"Tatsumi." Ieyasu spoke, his breaths were coming out short and ragged. "You know, Sayo...she didn't submit to that fucking girl, even to the very end...It was so cool. So for my death, this Ieyasu-sama here will also..." He held up a shaky hand and clenched it into a fist, a smile on his face as he uttered his last words. "keep it real."

"He was already in a state where he was hanging on by willpower alone..." Akame spook as though she was amazed by a human's strength.

"Shall we go Tatsumi?" He looked up as I walked up with Sayo in my hands. While he killed Aria I managed to release Sayo from her shackles, her limp body collapsed against mine and her head leaned against my shoulder. As I looked at her carefully, I noticed that there was a faint smile on her lips. She was able to rest in eternal peace, freed from her shackles.

"Yeah. I think there's a place I want to bury them, I'll show you the way." Wiping his tears, he lifted Ieyasu into his arms and we brushed past Akame and Leone without a word. Piling Tatsumi's friends gently on the back of my cart, we set off together in silence. I understood that he was going through a lot of emotions so I kept silent. We didn't even bother looking at Night Raid, knowing that they were watching our backs.

"Why don't we recruit those kids?" Leone asked her friends as they watched the cart disappear down the road. "The group is a bit short-handed but those guys showed a lot of potential. I am really curious about them myself."

"That girl...she had a weird power. I was pretty sure I cut her with Murasme but she is still alive and moving. Did she develop immunity to the poison?" Akame wondered out loud.

"And that spiritual pressure she exhibited during the fight, it was phenomenal. I couldn't even move my body. It was like I was being stared down by a god or some divine deity. So then...all in favor?" Akame raised her hand, the others slowly followed only because she was the leader. Leone nodded in excitement. "Okay then! Let's go get them."

* * *

_Somewhere..._

We continued walking, leaving the capital behind us. Tatsumi still had this grim look on his face as he walked beside me. After witnessing the acts committed at Aria's little human storage, my respect for the Capital hit an all-time low but I told myself that it wasn't the right time yet. Sure I felt guilty and sadness for those corpses but...the person I was looking for wasn't there.

"Here." Tatsumi spoke and I stopped walking. We ended up right next to an open field completely hidden from the world. "The sky looks beautiful tonight, hopefully it will continue that way."

"You're right, it is." I gaped at the twinkling stars above my head. They were like shiny diamonds. We carried the bodies to a secluded area of the field away from preying eyes. Grabbing a shovel, Tatsumi began digging for Ieyasu while I did the same thing for Sayo. We worked in silence, digging the holes, placing the bodies in and covering them up. Since there was a lack of slabs, I went to grab two wooden planks, a paint brush and black ink. I waited patiently as he dipped the brush into the ink and began writing. After he finished he placed them at the head while I placed two bundles of flowers on the dirt. We said our goodbyes and turned to leave. When we arrived at the cart, we kind of expected company but not from Night Raid.

"Don't look so sullen guys." Leone smiled at us. "Onee-san has some good news, we're here to congratulate you guys on your inauguration to Night Raid!"

"Huh? We weren't...exactly planning on...joining.." Tatsumi and I looked at each other, mumbling in unison. Leone however, didn't take no for an answer.

"Give it up. Leone won't listen once she gets started." Akame said.

"As expected of my buddy, you know me well." Leone chuckled as she rubbed Akame's head affectionately. "Bulacchi! I'll leave this guy to you." She tossed Tatsumi to another member of the group: the man in armor.

"Lemme go! I have no intention of becoming an assassin!" Tatsumi argued.

"It's okay. It'll get better soon." Bulacchi assured him.

"Wait!" I spoke up from where the woman who possessed the massive scissors held me bridal style. "What about my cart? I can't leave it behind, it's all that I have left to remember my childhood by."

"What's in there anyway? Some rocks?" The girl with pink pigtails walked over to take a look. "Ooooh, these materials are rare to come by. She must have been a merchant before arriving at the capital. Such exquisite items, the boss would be pleased. And there are some food items we could use."

"Then I suggest that two people carry the cart. Or you know we could come back for it later."

"We're on it!" Leone and another guy named Rabac jumped at the chance. "This thing shouldn't be too hard, we'll follow you guys back at our own pace."

"Now that that's over with, Mission complete. Let's return!" Akame ordered.


	3. Chapter 3: Kill the Country

**A/N**: Chapter 3 of _One final breath_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except my own. Akame ga kiru belongs to the rightful owner.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Kill the Country**

_Outside the Capital..._

It appeared that Night Raid's base wasn't that far from the capital. The field that Tatsumi and I used for his friends' grave belonged to them...well now ours because we joined them...temporarily. We still had time to think things over. Every morning I would glance outside the window on my way to the bathroom and see Tatsumi sitting by the graves, his head lowered in silent brooding. He's been like that lately and I don't blame him.

"It's been three days since then." Leone said gently as she approached him. She was out on a walk when she spotted him. "Have you made your decision to become a part of Night Raid?"

"Like I said-!" Tatsumi started to argue but wasn't given the chance.

"I think you have talent for murder though!" Leone wrapped her arm around him and pulled him close. "Onee-san guarantees it!"

"...I'm not wavering because of talent and such...it's the killing..."

"At any rate, I'll show you around the hideout today!" Leone enthusiastically dragged the boy behind her. "By the way, this is in the mountains 10 km north of the capital."

"Is that okay leaving it so open!? Aren't you assassins for hire!?" He said before he was inside the base. They came to pick me up and Leone gave us a tour as well as introduce us to the other members of the group.

"Huh?" The woman who had the giant scissors looked at us from behind her glasses. She was at the table reading a book when we came in. "You two haven't made your decisions to join yet?"

"Yeah, Sheele." Leone said, patting us both on the head. "Shower them with some warm words for me."

"Well...now that you know the location of our hideout, you'll be killed if you don't become one of us." She said it was such a straight face that I couldn't tell if she was joking or being real.

"That's so warm it's making me tear up." Tatsumi replied.

"You two should think it over carefully." Sheele stated before going back to her book. Getting the better of us, we sneaked a peek at the title, _100 ways to fix Airheadedness_.

"Heeeey!" A boisterous voice sounded and the girl with two pink pigtails walked in. "Wait a second, Leone! Why're you letting those two into the hideout!?"

"Cause they're one of us." Leone replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"They aren't one of us yet, are they? They didn't even get the Boss' permission, either!" She then gave us a glare and analyzed us for a minute before turning away with disdain. "Not qualified. It doesn't seem like they will be able to work with professionals like us at all...from looking at their faces!"

"Says the little munchkin." Tatsumi whispered loud enough for her to hear and I stifled a laugh.

"What was that!? You wanna run that by me again boy!?" She stomped her foot angrily, "I'll have you know, I'm pretty mature for my age."

"With that bust size? Who are you trying to fool?"

_Oh no he didn't! You never joke about a woman's breast size_. I fell to the ground, holding my sides due to laughter as Tatsumi ran for his life. Leone just sighed and went to save him before the girl put bullets through his body.

"Don't let her get to you guys. Mein tends to act that way to everyone. Come on, there are other places for exploration." She took us outside, the fresh breeze felt nice against our skin. "This is the stress release area called the Training Grounds. And over there," Leone pointed to a guy that was swinging a weapon with such precision like a professional. "The one who clearly looks like he reeks of sweat, is Bulat."

_Amazing...What spear handling!_ Tatsumi stared with admiration, mesmerized by the style and grace.

"Ah. Hey, it's Leone!" Bulat grinned as he saw us after his dazzling display of power. "And those two kids are...Oh! From before!"

"How do you know us?" Tatsumi asked.

"Hm? Was this your first time seeing me like his?" Bulat chuckled as he pointed to his face. "I'm the guy that was covered in armor the first time we met. I'm Bulat." He held out a sweaty hand and Tatsumi smiled pleasantly, giving him a handshake.

"Careful, this guy is a homo." Leone whispered into his ear.

"Hey, hey, He'd misunderstand right?" There was an evident blush on his face as he stared at Tatsumi.

_He's not denying it!_ Tatsumi shuttered as we said good-bye. I couldn't tell if he wanted to get out of there fast but I knew that Bulat made a strong impact on him.

"It's almost Leone's bathing time." A man with green hair growled with excitement, oblivious by our presence when we approached him. "For a glimpse of those tits, I'll brave any danger!"

"Then...how about I break two fingers." Leone replied without humor as she twisted his arm behind his back."You never learn, Rabac."

"Fuck!" He shouted as he tried to get out of the hold. "I can still go on!"

"Then it's one arm next." She then turned to us. "And so, this guy is..."

"Rabac right?" I said.

"Ohhh! It's that sexy girl from that time!" He smiled up at me. "How are ya?"

"Okay horn dog, leave her alone and take your business somewhere else." Leone tutted as she continued walking. The sun was already starting to set as we finally stumbled upon the last member.

"I'm tired already..." Tatsumi groaned while I nodded in agreement.

"Ahahah! It's a pretty girl next so you guys can look forward to it. See, the one over there's Akame. Isn't she cute?" The said girl looked at us mid-bite.

"Is that an Evilbird she's eating?! Did she kill it by herself?" Tatsumi asked before noticing my puzzled look. "Oh an Evilbird is a voracious eater that destroys villages."

"Akame may look like that, but she grew up in the wild." Leone stated like it was no big deal. "Oh thank you." She smiled as her companion tossed her a leg. Akame held out the other one to us, regarding us with a natural expression.

"Did you two...become one of us?" We shook our heads no. "Then I can't give this meat to you."

_We don't want any!_ We shouted through our minds while Leone munched on her share.

"But still, aren't you being extravagant today?" Leone inspected the clothes a little closer.

"The Boss is back." Akame replied, jerking her thumb to the side.

"Yo." The woman with short silver-haired waved her hand in greeting when she saw us. I noticed that she had only one eye and one of her arms was robotic...a mechanical arm. I remembered that Rabac mentioned that the boss's name was Najenda and that she was once a general that worked for the Capital.

"Welcome back, Boss. Do you have any souvenirs?" Leone asked happily.

"Putting that aside, Leone," The robotic appendage twitched. "In the job three days ago...It seems you went over the operation time, eh?"

_Crap!_ Leone took off running in the opposite direction as fast as she could. The hand is apparently retractable as it shot out like a rocket, catching the fleeing woman within seconds.

"It's not good to enjoy fighting with a strong enemy too much..." Najenda chastised as she reeled her catch in, a smirk on her face. "Do something to fix that habit of yours."

"I got it, so stop that screeching sound! By the way Boss!" Jumping straight back up, she wrapped her arms around our shoulders. "I recommend these two talented kids!"

"Do they show promise?"

"They do. Well just give it a try!"

"Is this like a part-time job?" I asked while Tatsumi groaned at the thought.

"The wage is high, too." Akame said as if to persuade him.

"Akame...gather everyone in the meeting room. I want to hear the results of the previous operation in detail, including these youngsters."

* * *

_Night Raid meeting..._

"I understand the situation completely." Najenda said after she heard everything. "Tatsumi...Sonya...would you two like to join Night Raid?"

"We're practically dead if we decline, right?" Tatsumi stated as he remembered Sheele's warning.

"No, that's not going to happen..." She chuckled as if amused by the thought. "but we can't let you guys back. We'll have you two work as laborers in our workshop. At any rate, you won't die even if you decline. Given that...what do you think?"

"I...was planning to go out to the Capital and become successful..." Tatsumi answered her question first. "to save my village, which is suffering from poverty...but even the Imperial Capital's rotting!"

"Bulat was originally a skilled Imperial soldier. But he learned of the Empire's corruption and became one of us."

"Even if you just kill bad guys little by little, the world won't change greatly, will it? In the end, places in remote regions like my village won't be saved by that."

"I see. Then Night Raid fits you even more perfectly."

"How come?"

"Far south of the Capital, there's the hideout of an anti-empirical force, the Revolutionary Army."

"Revolutionary Army?"

"The Revolutionary Army, which started out small, had grown into a large-scale organization by now. Then, inevitably, a unit to handle covert jobs such as assassination and information gathering was created. That's us," She turned and pointed to the tapestry hanging on the wall which depicted an owl with an arrow in its wing. "Night Raid. Right now we're exterminating the Capital's ticks, but in the event that the Army takes action, we'll take advantage of the confusion, and the Prime Minister, who is the cause of the corruption—we will take him out ourselves!"

"Intruders! Najenda-san!"Rabac interrupted quickly after he felt the tug on his threads.

"What're their numbers and locations?"

"According to the reaction from my barrier, it's probably 8 people. They've all infiltrated close to the hideout."

"They're good. To sniff out this place means they're probably mercenaries of another race." Najenda calmly lit a cigar, "Don't let any one of them live...where's Sonya?" She asked noticing that I slipped away.

* * *

_Outside..._

Upon hearing that there were intruders, my dog tag started acting up and before I knew it, I was outside the base. My senses were on override as I gazed at my surrounding in confusion. Suddenly my legs started walking against my will, it's like they were possessed by an unknown force. I had no idea where they were taking me but I found myself by a riverbank.

"Come out. Stop hiding." My voice was cool and commanding and the bushes rustled, indicating 8 people. They trudged out in single-file just like how I ordered. They spat colorful languages as they tried to take control of their bodies. They stood right in front, sweat dripping from their faces.

"Kneel." They dropped to their knees without resistant. Walking to the side, I calmly raised my right hand which was charging up power.

"Shit!"

"Come on! Move damn it!"

"We were so close to their base, how did we end up here?!"

"I'm too young to die!" The woman cried.

"H-h-hey, I know who you are!" One of the intruders blurted out, immediately drawing my attention. The others looked up in surprise as I stopped charging and just looked at him. "Isn't your brother Roan Reizen?"

"Y-yes. How did you know?" I asked, lowering my arm. The other seven tried to slink away but I kept a tight hold on them. Just because I wasn't attacking doesn't mean my guard is dropped.

"I was just a local blacksmith before I joined these guys in the village close to the mines." He explained. "Your brother usually walks by my shop and we would make some small talk. He talked a lot about you though. Once he brought you with him and we met but I guess you kind of forgot." He rubbed the back of head sheepishly. "In fact, I have something here that he wanted to give to you." He beckoned for me to get close. Something in my gut told me that it was a trick but I was beyond excited to see what my brother left for me. He had his left hand covering his right hand and he smirked as I inched closer. Once I was in range, he removed his left hand and struck my jaw without warning, his right hand curled in a fist.

_What...?_ I thought as my head snapped back. Taking the opportunity, he relentlessly attacked with powerful punches. The speed was astonishing as I was hopelessly pummeled at his mercy; this was the first time I fought someone with unmatched speed.

"There!" He howled with delight, ramming his elbow straight into my stomach. I flew back until my back connected with a tree; its trunk was so thick that I could feel the jarring tingling feeling up my spine.

"Garagh...haaaa...haaa." I slid down the bark and hunched over, my arms around my stomach to ease the pain.

"You must be a fool to believe that bullshit of a story." He sneered as he walked over. I glared at him before he grabbed the front of my shirt and lifted me off the ground, high enough that my feet just dangled freely. "Do you wanna know a secret..." He leaned close to whisper in my ear. "I led the attack at the mines, the day your brother died on the order of Esdese." My eyes widened as I listened to his words. "Your brother had a nice screaming voice...until I went a bit overboard. You saw him though didn't you? You little bitch." Suddenly I felt myself being pulled forward, this time his knee met my midriff. My vision blurred and I started coughing wads of blood that slowly dribbled down my chin. Lifting his arms high above his head, he brought them crashing down upon my back. I fell face down on the ground from the impact and laid there unmoving.

"Nice going." The others cheered, realizing that they were free from my control. "She didn't even stand a chance."

"Ha! I don't understand why we were afraid—"

"Judge." I fired an energy beam without warning, obliterating the seven intruders easily.

"Back for more huh? Guess I just have to increase my power." My tormentor growled, holding his ear where the beam had nicked him; he's lucky that he dodged, that sly bastard. I snarled in response and rushed forward with a punch aimed for his head. He met my fist with his and a shock wave was created. The powerful winds made the trees waver and ripples to appear on the water's surface. We traded blows nonstop, neither one of us refusing to give.

"You!" He grabbed my leg as I tried to get behind him and slammed me into the ground repeatedly. Noticing that my body went limp, he threw me straight up into the air like a rag doll, his fist ready for my descend downward. Unfortunately, I regained consciousness and twisted my body in mid-air, concentrating power into my right hand again. Instead of firing off a beam, I came crashing down and drove him straight through. There was an explosion and the members of Night Raid, plus Tatsumi, shielded their eyes from the dust. Once it cleared, I stood silently while my opponent lay dead at my feet.

"Boss! Did you see that!? She just demolished them...without mercy!" Rabac exclaimed. The Night Raid stood back as they watched the show. They rushed out of the base to hunt but noticed that it was already taken care of. Seven smoldering ash piles and one mutilated body in the middle of a giant hole. Suddenly, the feeling of rage pulsated through my veins and I straddled the body, smashing my fists against his face. My knuckles were soon covered with blood but I didn't care as I continued pounding the head into the ground.

"She's gone berserk!" Leone exclaimed in horror. "She might hurt herself if this continues."

"What do we do...?" Sheele asked.

"What a newbie," Mein sighed in annoyance. "Huh? Where'd Tatsumi go?"

"There he is!" Bulat shouted, pointing at the little figure running. "That kid's fast!"

"I don't think his approach is appropriate. Let's go." Najenda ordered and they hurried after him.

"Sonya!" Jerking my head up at the sound of my name, I noticed Tatsumi scrambling down the side and running up to me. I knew it was him by the sound of his voice however rage consumed me. I jumped off the body and angrily lashed out with a bloody fist. He dodged it at the last-minute and wrapped me in his arms. "Get a grip! This isn't like you!"

"Aaarghhhhh!" I roared and bit his shoulder hard, struggling against him. He yelped as I drew blood but he refused to let go. We continued this struggle until I felt my rage die out and I leaned against him.

"Tatsumi? What...what..." I looked around before focusing on him, his arms were still around me. "What just happened?"

"You lost control...again. It was really severe and you went overboard on the killing." He gripped my shoulders and looked at me with concern. "Are you okay? You're shaking!"

"I...I don't know... I feel kind of..." I couldn't even complete a sentence before the world spun around and I passed out. I didn't even wake up until four days later with my entire body wrapped in bandages.

"She's been asleep for four days already...is she dead?" Mein's voice floated through my ears as I felt my back dip into the mattress-she's sitting on my stomach and it's quite painful...correction every single spot on my body is protesting at the extra weight.

"Please don't be rude, she's still recovering." Sheele responded, placing her hand on my forehead. "She should be waking up soon." As if on cue, I opened my eyes and looked at them, my vision still a bit hazy. "Oh good, you're awake. The boss would like to see you."

"O-o-okay." I grunted, practically shoving Mein off my stomach lightly so I could get out from under the blanket. Taken by surprise, she lost her balance and fell onto the floor,eliciting an angry outburst which I ignored. I got dressed and followed them to the meeting room. I was greeted by the other members before placing myself in front of Najenda who looked at me with a calm expression.

"Glad to see that you're up and walking. How are you feeling?"

"I'm still having aches and pains when I sleep but overall I think I'll make a good recovery, Boss-sama."

"Haha." She chuckled as if I said something amusing. "You can call me Najenda or Boss."

"Oh Tatsumi. How's your shoulder?" I asked knowing full well that I was responsible for that injury.

"It's fine really." He smiled. "You didn't injure it too much."

"Thank goodness. I'm sorry for going off like that."

"That's just was I wanted to talk to you about. What happened out there?" Najenda asked.

"He..." My voice was caught in my throat and I tried to explain but I just couldn't."He...he...he..." My lips trembled as I fought back tears. The memories of Roan's death surfaced and it hurt so much that I was rendered voiceless.

"I understand..." Najenda lit a cigarette and leaned back in her chair. "Something must have happened when you were little...you don't have to explain. Just remember, never let your opponents get the upper hand. The moment you join Night Raid you must learn how to harness your emotions, your past life because it can be used against you."

"Y-y-yess Boss." I said, wiping away some stray tears. She nodded and looked at the other members.

"Everyone continue doing what you do best. Tatsumi, you're with Akame in the kitchen."

_Not again...I still feel like I was hired to just be the cook!_ He inwardly groaned and trudged after the red-eye assassin. The rest of them were busy preparing for a mission, Mein trotted towards the kitchen to tease Tatsumi as usual and I returned to my room to rest some more.

"Hang on Sonya." I turned around to see that Boss followed me, my hand on the knob. "I didn't get an answer from you yet."

"An answer Boss? For what?"

"For joining Night Raid of course!" She gave me a lopsided grin. "What do you say? You know, Tatsumi took the offer."

"Ha, I knew he would." I laughed. "Boss...I kind of choked back there...the fight with those assassins proved that I was still naive. And you were correct that something happened in my past but I don't want to share it yet...but that doesn't change my decision about Night Raid."

"And?" She prompted.

"I'll join." I looked at her with determination. "If Night Raid's goal is to destroy the Prime Minister and obliterate the Capital then I want to be apart of it! It's my goal to annihilate my brother's murder."

"Your brother?" She looked at me with a confused look.

"I'll tell everyone at Night Raid but not now." I smiled and opened the door. "Have a good day Boss."

"All right, you rest easy. Stay sharp, always expect to be called on when the time comes." She replied and walked away. I made a recovery over the next few days. Since Tatsumi and I were still new members we were stuck in the kitchen with Akame on food duty. Now I've never cooked before so I watched Tatsumi most of the time. Most of my meals came from scraps or someone was feeding me so I wasn't comfortable with the knife. Tatsumi was a pro though, he said that he learned how to cook with Sayo and Ieyasu. Akame didn't mind that I couldn't cook since I excelled more at food gathering. She took us out to catch some dinner in the mountains, namely the Koga tuna. I fell in love with the place and I made sure to ask Boss if I could train here. Catching those fish was a _nightmare_ I can't stress that enough, I have little teeth marks on my ass. It irritated me so much that I unleashed my power and blew the fish out of the water. I did receive punishment for using such a cheat method though.

"At least she caught the fish, not bad for a first timer." Najenda said as she took a bite. "But next time make sure you follow Akame's directions...Oh and you can use that place as a training ground, why not!"

"Thanks Boss! You're the best!" I exclaimed happily. We were having...lunch I guess you could say, just Akame, Leone, Boss, Tatsumi and I. The table was loaded with dishes filled with Koga tuna meat, it felt like a feast.

"Leone," She placed her chopsticks down and directed her attention to the said member, we could tell that this was her serious tone. "tell me about the request we received a few days ago."

"Our targets are Ogre of the Capital guards, and an oil merchant named Gamal." Leone explained as she took out two pieces of paper and placed them on the table for us to see. "This is the payment for the job." A huge bag of coins was placed on the table as well.

"That client saved up this much money?" Tatsumi asked.

"I caught the scent of a venereal disease from her...so she must have sold her body to earn all that."

"Did you check out their story?" Najenda asked.

"They're guilty. I observed them from the attic of the merchant's shop." Leone replied.

"...Okay." I watched as Boss removed her cigarette before continuing, "Night Raid will accept this request. We will deliver divine punishment upon the heads of these heinous monsters, and send them to the hereafter. Taking out Gamal will be simple, but Ogre will be a formidable opponent."

"I'll go!" Tatsumi and I spoke in unison before looking at each other in surprise.

"The two of you?" Boss questioned though she was smiling.

"Well I mean, I guess I'll stay and let Tatsumi take it this time. Besides I can watch the base instead." I figured and sat back down. Tatsumi tried to protest but I didn't want to hear any of it which let to a playful argument.

_Oh ho, she backed off...interesting. _Najenda thought as she watched us banter.

"It's good that you're so dedicated." Leone chuckled, patting Tatsumi on the head.

"How about that Akame! When it's time, I can step up!" He grinned.

"Where does this self-confidence come from?" She asked, giving him a blank look. "You haven't had a successful mission until after have given your first report. As you are now, so full of yourself, you'll just end up dead."

"Wha-!" He spat angrily but Boss intervened.

"Leone, Akame I leave you two to Gamal. Tatsumi your mission," She pointed a finger at Ogre's poster. "is to eradicate him. Sonya you will go and observe since I'll stay. Best of luck to you all."


	4. Chapter 4: Kill the Authority

**A/N**: Chapter 4 of _One final breath_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except for myself. Akame ga kill belongs to the rightful owner.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Kill the Authority**

"If you walk down this path it'll lead you to the main street." Leone pointed to the archway with a lazy hand. We were ordered by Boss to carry out a request that Onee-san obtained just a few days ago. Today was Tatsumi's lucky day too, he'll be taking out Ogre the Demon with me as a spectator. Akame and Onee-san are tasked with taking out the oil merchant Gamal.

"Got it!" Tatsumi replied as he steeled himself for the job. He was gonna prove his worth and not just running his mouth.

"...you guys wanna hear a story about Akame?" Looking at our curious faces, Leone cleared her throat. "When Akame was young, she and her sister were both bought somewhere in the Empire. Well you know...poor parents selling their kids is a pretty common story. Anyways, she entered assassination training together with another girl in the same situation. There she learned how to kill people...she survived, in that hellish situation. And she worked under the orders of the Empire; she was the perfect assassin. However, each time she carried out her duty, she could feel more of the darkness within the Empire. The Boss, who was her target at the time, succeeded in persuading her...to defect from the Empire and join the Revolutionary army that cared only about the people. By that time, it seems most of the comrades she had grown up and trained with were all dead...do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

"As an amateur, I should shut up and listen to the professional killer, right?" Tatsumi stated nonchalantly.

"Well...you'll understand if you're successful today." Leone smiled and waved us off. We decided to wait on the rooftop just to pass the time since we were a tad early. It wasn't long before our prey crossed our path, the giant ugly brute known as Ogre. He looked drunk at the moment as there was an evident blush on his face.

"Sake is so good after a through interrogation. I am the king of this city...! The highest authority. I can do whatever I want, as much as I want!" He crowed with a laugh. We watched with disgust as he stop to chat with some guest. After a few minutes Tatsumi gave me a quick nod and disappeared, his hood up to keep his face hidden in the shadow. I watched as he engaged with the enemy, their mouths started to move in a light conversation. I noticed that Tatsumi soon led Ogre away from prying eyes, my cue to move, and I found myself watching them in an alleyway, my ears picking up on words.

"I beg of you! Please allow me into the Capital defense force!" Tatsumi bowed low till his head hit the ground. "I must earn enough money to send back to my home in the country, Sir!"

"Ha...hhhh..." Ogre scratched the back of his neck, the effect of sake must be subsiding. "I thought it would be something like this. Then apply through the normal process, idiot...but," He turned and started to walk off prompting Tatsumi to draw his sword in silence, "in these hard times, it's so very difficult to get in. It's to be expected, isn't it?" Instinct told him to keep a hand on the sword attached to his side, "So, I take it you weren't strong enough to pass the entrance test?" As fast as lightning, swords clashed and Tatsumi drew the first blood. He smiled as he watched Ogre's body hit the ground with a loud thud, a shocked look on his opponent's face.

_That...was a little too easy. Ogre was supposed to be a captain of the guards...lame._ I narrowed my eyes in thought, Tatsumi clearly had his back to the enemy no doubt giving himself a mental praise. Suddenly a dark ominous presence overshadowed the boy and he immediately raised his sword before Ogre's could slice him in half. Skidding back a few he gridded his teeth in anger. Now I stand corrected, propping my arm up to use as a head rest and continued to watch the fight with interest.

"Did you think...that I, Ogre the Demon...would really be killed by the likes of a snot nosed little shit like you...?" He took a threatening step forward. "The weak don't matter...Only the strong matter in this city...I pass judgment on people! Do you think you can judge me!?"

"Don't just say whatever you want...!" Tatsumi roared as he went in on the attack. They clashed blades, sparks flying out from the grinding metal.

"I see..." Ogre grinned as he added pressure to his blade, forcing Tatsumi to keep from buckling. "You belong to that Night Raid group, don't you? Same as that bitch watching from up there." He lifted his head to grin in my direction and I shot him the finger for calling me a pussy.

"Don't call Sonya a bitch!" Tatsumi snapped. "I'm more than enough to kick your ass."

"Who hired you to kill me?" Ogre turned his head to give the boy attention. "You happen to know a lot about me...Was it possibly the bitch fiance of the guy who was executed the other day?" The shock on Tatsumi's face was all that he needed. "I'm right aren't I...? I knew it would have been best to kill her as well...No...it's still not too late to kill her!" He grinned with glee as he spilled his plan. "First, I'll have to find her, of course. And then, I'll find the rest of her family, and arrest them as criminals and then I'll force her to watch as they are executed one by one...! But only after I've killed you!" A swoosh sound reached his ears and he realized that his arms were cut off by the elbows. He looked up as Tatsumi dealt the final blow, cutting his body into pieces. Finally the mighty Ogre is dead, his corpse unmoving in the pool of blood. Tatsumi sheathed his blade and waited for me to greet him. I gave him a high-five and we disappeared back into the crowds, leaving the rotten corpse behind.

* * *

_Night Raid base..._

"Not bad huh Akame?" Tatsumi asked when we got back. Leone and Boss greeted us but the black haired assassin was quiet upon our return. "So now you'll have to acknowledge me." Little did he know that she had the decency to swiftly remove his shirt and with the help from Leone and Boss, they stripped the boy to his boxers. Now I was accustomed to Roan stripping now and then when we bathed together as kids but after I was a little more mature he taught me a few things about common courtesy and the privacy of others. Basically I kept my gaze above the waistline.

"Thank goodness.." There was a blush on Akame's face and she smiled. This was the first time we have ever seen her smile. It was really cute. "I've seen friends die from poison because they wanted to be tough and not report the wound. But you seem to be undamaged."She held out her hand, "The mortality rate for those on their first mission is high...you did very well!"

"Th...Thanks." He stammered as he accepted the handshake.

"Akame was hoping you would live. She would have been lonely without you." Leone said innocently, knowing full well that the dark-haired assassin has a little crush on the boy.

"Let me see what to assign you two next..." Najenda said after thinking to herself. "Tatsumi, you'll be working under Mein. Sonya, you'll work with Leone. Do your best." At the sound of the girl's name, Tatsumi tensed up and the color drained from his face.

"I have to work with her!?" He cried out in despair, remembering his first meeting with the fiery temper princess.

"Please take good care of me Onee-san." I turned to my mentor and smiled.

"Don't you worry, this Onee-san is gonna show you a lot of great things." Leone grinned and gave me a thumbs up. I could have sworn Akame had a sad face on but I knew it would disappear soon. Boss told me that she would have Tatsumi and I go separate ways before reuniting under Akame's leadership. Not far away, the rest of the Night Raid members were making their way back to the base after a successful mission. Mein stopped in her tracks and looked behind her with a scowl on her face.

"For some reason I just got the chills." The pink haired assassin commented warily before catching up to the others.

"Welcome back." Tatsumi and I greeted them from the lounge room. Akame just nodded from the couch while Boss sat in her chair lighting a cigarette.

"Oh?" Leone walked in with a cookie halfway in her mouth and her right hand still in the cookie jar. She disappeared into the kitchen to grab a quick snack. "What's up guys?" She plopped herself down on the couch next to Akame and propped her legs up on the table.

"We finished our mission." Sheele said with a smile.

"In record timing too." Najenda glanced at the clock. "Nice."

"Isn't it obvious?" Mein smirked. "We're the best! As the Teigu users of Night Raid it's expected of us to give every single mission our full attention and maximum power."

"Now that you mentioned Teigu there's something I want to show our newer members. Problem is...where did I put it..." Najenda rose from her chair and walked over to a bookshelf, her eyes scanning each item carefully. "Aha! Here it is!" She exclaimed walking back to us with a book in hand. "Read this." She tossed it to Tatsumi who started looking through the pages.

"This is...a book about Teigu?" The pages depicted different pictures on a variety of Teigu known to Night Raid, I recognized the humongous scissors that Sheele uses and Akame's sword.

"That book is filled with knowledge about the Teigu that we know. There are blank pages in the back but they do have pictures on Teigu that existed. As I said, at least half of these weapons were lost through out history." Boss then proceeded to talk about each member's Teigu weapons and their abilities. "Remember this fact...if two Teigu users were to fight each other, one of them is guaranteed to die."

"Is that so?" Tatsumi chuckled nervously before something caught his eye. "Hey this Teigu looks smaller than the rest. It looks like some sort of tag..."

"Really!? Let me see that." I quickly snatched the book out of his hands and took a seat next to Leone who was busy licking the cookie crumbs from her fingers. Flipping through the book my eyes focused on a drawing of a dog tag; it was about 4 pages from the end. "It's referred to as 'God's Triumph... Oblivion.'"

"What an interesting name...but you're right it looks practically fragile." Mein commented as she looked over my shoulder. "Even a toddler shouldn't have any trouble snapping it in half with a rock."

_How mean! _I unconsciously placed my hand over my chest, feeling the dog tag resting comfortably near my heart. Even though it was being hidden under my jacket I felt Boss's eyes trained on me...it's like she could undress me with just a stare. I looked at her and noticed that she had a smirk on her face; She knows that I have the Teigu but she didn't look like she'll announce it to the rest of the team just yet.

"Oi! Tatsumi, I'm starving! Go cook something!" The pink-haired princess prodded the boy's arm with a finger repetitively.

"Okay I'm going! I'm going!" He shouted as he swatted her finger away in annoyance, stood up and shuffled toward the kitchen.

* * *

_Nighttime..._

After dinner everyone went straight to bed, too tired to do anything else. Usually on a good night we would play some cards or watch a movie but today snapped the strength out of our bodies. I was fast asleep in bed before my ears caught the sound of the door opening.

"T-Tatsumi?" I grumbled as I opened my eyes and saw him peeking through my door. "Why are you still up?"

"Sorry to disturb you, would you mind keeping me company for a few minutes?" He quietly closed the door and walked over, sitting down on my bed. "I...I was just thinking...you know after we had that lecture about the different weapons and looking through the book. You have one of those right? The one called 'God's Triumph: Oblivion'?"

"...yes..." He could tell that I was hesitant and really sensitive about the subject. I took off the dog tag and held it out for him to see. "This is my cherished treasure."

"May I hold it?" I gently placed the item in his hand. "It's so tiny..."

"You know I thought size doesn't matter in a fight but after flipping through the book I realized that it really is smaller than the rest of them." I chuckled and ran my fingers through my unruly hair. "I wonder what my brother was thinking...don't take it the wrong way I am actually grateful that I could have this memento."

"At least you have a Teigu, I can't wait till I have one of my own." He smiled and handed it back to me. "Anyways the reason I came over was to ask you about those attacks from earlier."

"Earlier?" I asked before I remembered the battle with the intruders. "Oh. I know what you're talking about."

"And before that, when we first met Akame and her group you intended to blow her away with that beam. I was thinking that we should put names on those attacks."

"I'm guessing you already have some in mind." I giggled.

"Well yeah...I do." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I noticed that you say the word 'Judge' before firing...so why don't we call the beam 'Judgement Cannon' and the other one 'Heavenly Flash'? Because when you collected all that energy into your fist, it shined like a flash."

"You know I never thought about it like that...I like it!" I pulled out the book from underneath my bed and flipped to the page. Taking a pen or whatever utensil that was available I started scratching words and information for my Teigu. Tatsumi watched in silence as I finished writing, the page filled to the brim.

"Are you sure this is okay? What if someone steals this book?" He asked when I released a sigh, rolling my wrist to ease the tightness.

"I had that fact in the back of my mind when I was writing so I didn't write the details. I plan on presenting it tomorrow morning at the meeting including my past." I closed the book and placed in on my desk. I quickly raised a hand to stifle a yawn.

"It's pretty late, I'll head back to my room then." He got up and walked to the door, his hand inches from the knob before I spoke.

"Thank you Tatsumi. We should do this more often, these small conversations."

"That sounds great. Sleep well." He smiled, turned the knob and left. I smiled myself before pulling the blanket over my body. I looked at the dog tag, my Teigu, the last gift from my brother before cradling it against my chest and fell asleep.

* * *

**A/N**: Here's an analysis on Sonya's weapon- God's Triumph: Oblivion

In the shape of a dog tag most people overlook the full extent of its power. As one of the forty-eight items known as 'Imperial Arms', it was said to have disappeared along with half of the items through history. Not much is known about it, even the record books have little to no information.

Ability: **Order**

This ability allows the user to take complete control over the other Teigu users; does not have any affect on non-Teigu users.

Trump card: **Resurrection **

This trump card is quite a weird one and can ONLY be used ONCE. The user will slowly lose his or her memory the longer the battle draws out; memories about the past, important events and even friends. In return, the user will be able to use any Teigu he or she wishes and have full access to their abilities.

Attacks:

**Judgment Cannon**- Fires a beam of energy from the user's right hand; has a 2% dodge rate. After firing, it needs to recharge and recover making the user a vulnerable target.

**Heavenly Flash**- Harbors the energy within a fist and with one punch, demolishes the target; 0% dodge rate. Could be used after firing a cannon however the user will knocked out for 4 days as a side-effect.

**Teleport**- Allows the user to pop up in places he or she desires, can also be used for a swift getaway.


	5. Chapter 5: Kill your cares

**A/N**: Chapter 5 of _One final breath_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. Akame ga kill belongs to the rightful owner.

Special thanks to the reviewers, I truly appreciate it.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Kill your cares**

_The next morning..._

"Hello Leone." A gypsy greeted us with a smile.

"I could use another shoulder massage next time you come by." An elderly woman added.

"Lookin' hot today, Babe! Come drink with us tonight!" A butcher whistled for attention.

"Yeah, come hang out with us Leone!" Lots of people from the left and the right started talking to us, whether it be greetings or just light chatter.

"Isn't this great?" Leone commented as she stretched her arms up high, smiling as a young lady walked past us. "A brisked walk through this slum, I could do this every morning. How are you holding up?"

"I'm okay Onee-san, don't fret about me. I've pulled this cart with weight 10 times my own size when I was young." I smiled. As part of my training I accompanied Onee-san on her usual route through town; Tatsumi went with Mein. This morning the two of them were extremely noisy which resulted in a few new holes in the wall. Apparently Tatsumi didn't knock and just walked in on the pink-haired assassin when she was getting dressed.

"PERVERT! I'M GONNA PUT SOME NEW HOLES IN YOUR BODY!" She shrieked, whipping out Pumpkin and pulled the trigger.

"They're unusually happy this morning." Najenda commented as she took a sip of coffee. The walls shook as Mein continued firing followed by Tatsumi shouting for her to stop.

"Well, Sonya and I will be heading out first." Leone wrapped an arm around my shoulder with a grin, "Oh! And Boss, I call dibs on Tatsumi when we return." When we reached the yard, Onee-san asked me to wait for a few minutes and went to retrieve my cart which was kept in the storage space. "Today we're gonna go to the market." She hopped up and sat down cross-legged. "Come! Let's get going."

"Yes, Onee-san!" I walked to the front and grabbed the handlebar, feeling it snugged between my palms. It's been awhile since I pulled it but it felt just right. I left the hideout gates, hitting the dirt path and headed into town with Onee-san riding in the back.

"Here we are! Onee-san had some connections and got us a good spot." She pointed to a vacant stand right between a fortune-telling shop and a food market shop. "Boss gave me the okay to start this little business as a way to earn a little extra cash on the side."

"It's like another part-time job." I replied as I unloaded my merchandise. "Oh good these things are still fresh."

"Well of course, Night Raid has the best way of preserving merchandise for years." Leone chuckled as she helped me set up the stand. "Oh! I really like this sign, kudos to Akame for this brilliant idea and lovely handwriting."

"Hey isn't that Leone?!" Voices started rising and Onee-san's ears perked up with interest. From afar it looked like a cloud of smoke before we could make out the shapes of three running men, their eyes lighted with anger.

"I'll have you pay back your drinking bill!"

"It's time to settle your gambling debts!"

"I want the money you scammed off my brother!"

"See? Didn't I tell you this place was the bomb?! Catch you later!" With that Onee-san dashed off with the men in pursuit. I stood there gawking as the dust cloud disappeared before I noticed that I drew in some customers. I had a sign which read, 'Buy and Trade' in bold letters and I had a lot of items from towns which I encountered during my travels. Since the security from the Capital not many merchants come and go so various items were rare to come by. It was hard to keep track of my customers when people started to crowded around waving money or items in my face.

"CAN I HAVE A LINE PLEASE?!" I yelled to get everyone's attention. "I WILL GET TO EVERYONE SO BE PATIENT!" Watching as they shuffle into a line I could focus much better and manage the business efficiently. At the end of the day I managed to earn money and still have enough inventory to use tomorrow or whenever Boss allows me to go. Checking my watch I closed the store, packed my stuff and returned home where I was greeted by smiling faces. As promised One-san took Tatsumi to the slums the next day and I went with Mein who was a bit more lenient on me. We actually did a deep investigation which skipped the shopping part entirely but nothing out of the ordinary happened as we looked around every nook and cranny. When we came back Sheele rushed up and whisked me away before I could properly shut the door.

"It's my turn to train you guys, I'm so happy." She announced with a smile as she dragged me to a nearby river.

"Us? There's someone other than- oh hi Tatsumi!" I waved to the boy. He waved back in greeting and we stared at our trainer for our orders. She produced a suit of armor and stated that we needed to swim with it on in order to build resistance and endurance. Tatsumi went first and when he came back up he looked tired.

"Your turn." He trudged back to the shore and removed the wet armor, flopping on the ground with exhaustion after he was through. Giving him a concern glance I donned the armor and went into the water. Immediately the armor gained weight and I started to struggle against the current as my head dipped underneath the surface. There were a couple of times where the water flowed into my mouth and I started to choke. Quickly swimming up to the surface I coughed and spluttered until I managed to cling to a rock to catch my breath. After getting all of the excess water out of my mouth I dove back in and continued swimming. Tatsumi and I took turns until we both were lying on the ground breathless, our chest heaving for air and our muscles aching with fatigue.

"Great job you two, that'll be enough for today." Sheele praised us and helped us walk back just in time for dinner.

* * *

_That night..._

"Anything interesting today besides training?" I asked Tatsumi as I washed the dishes. It was my turn anyways and Tatsumi decided to help me today. It wasn't required but he insisted that two pairs of hands were better than one pair.

"I reported to Boss about an Imperial Guard who uses a Teigu." He replied, scrubbing off the scraps. "She was a cute girl though."

"Don't get too close to her." I warned and hung the towel on the rack. "If she is as you said, a 'Teigu user', Night Raid needs to keep a close eye on her."

"I understand. I had this tingling feeling crawling up and down my spine when she grabbed my hand, it's freaky." He chuckled and handed me the plate. "It must be love! My chick magnet is finally operational!"

"Don't be ridiculous!" I punched his shoulder playfully. "Keep that up and no girl would want to come within a five feet radius let alone love you."

"That hurts," He whined as he untied his apron, a grin on his face. "don't kill my chances."

"You have lots of chances because," I gently pulled on his cheeks and smiled. "nobody can resist your smile." He smiled and we walked out of the kitchen together shoulder to shoulder. Little did we know that something evil lurked just a few blocks away. A man with a strange object on his head and a billowing lab coat stood in silence as guards ran around in search for Ogre's killer, his gaze fixated upon a particular piece of paper on the wall.

"The same as me...A Teigu user...an Assassin..." He grinned as he continued to stare at Akame's wanted poster. "Happy Happy. Can I go all out here?" He chuckled like a maniac. "It seems like...The Capital is the perfect place to live. I kill and kill and there is always more..."


	6. Chapter 6: Kill the Teigu User

**A/N**: Chapter 6 of _One final breath_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. Akame ga kill belongs to the rightful owner.

Special thanks to the reviewers, I truly appreciate it.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Kill the Teigu User**

_Night Raid meeting..._

We received a disturbing report a few days later so Boss called us in for a quick briefing and we could tell that this was serious business because she had that look in her eyes; the look of an assassin. She waited for us to huddle around before addressing the situation.

"The target this time...is the rumored serial killer that is plaguing the Capital. Late at night he suddenly appears, and chops off the victim's head. It's unknown how many dozens of people he has killed so far."

"And three of those killed were part of the Imperial Guard right? He's gotta be strong to do that." Tatsumi said and I nodded in agreement. Not many people had the guts to attack and kill the Imperial Guards unless they wanted to feel the wrath of the Prime Minister.

"There's no mistake, it has to be Zank the Beheader." Rabac commented drily.

"Who's that?" I asked him.

"You don't know?" Mein intervened without amusement. "You really are a country bumpkin, huh?"

_There she goes again, quick to insult others and looking down on upon them must be her specialty._ Tatsumi and I thought as she scolded Sheele for forgetting who Zank was.

"Anyways...Zank the Beheader." The pink-haired assassin turned her attention on us and began to go into his back story. "He originally worked at the Empire's greatest prison as their executioner. Because of the Prime Minister...there were many people to be executed. Day after day, again and again. He took the heads of those on their knees pleading for their lives. It seems that after years of this, these beheadings became a nasty habit of his."

"Not strange he lost a few screws with that job..." Tatsumi replied without humor.

"So, executing prisoners started not to be enough for him, so he became a serial killer." Mein nodded.

"He disappeared right around the time that a detainment force was sent out to find him...Who would think he'd be in the Capital?" Bulat looked utterly disgusted at the thought.

"What a horrible guy! We need to find and beat his ass!" Tatsumi growled.

"Hold your horses, Tatsumi."

"Aniki?" He looked up as Bulat patted his head.

"Zank stole the Warden's Teigu before leaving. And from then on became a serial killer." The user of Incursio held the boy's chin and tilted it so they were staring face to face. "If you ran into him without your partner...you'd be in big trouble."

_I get the feeling I'm in another kind of trouble at the moment. _Tatsumi cringed on the inside before he noticed that everyone was splitting up into groups for the hunt. _Oh crap, I better hurry before they leave me behind!_

* * *

_Town..._

"Yeah." Akame nodded as she looked at the map. "Our search area is down this way." She was in charge of us today since Mein and Sheele were partners, Onee-san and Bulat teamed up together and Rabac decided to stay behind with Boss. She didn't mind at all because on the inside I'm pretty sure she loved to have some juniors under her wings.

"Seems like the people of the Capital are too scared of the killer to come out at night anymore huh." Tatsumi looked around at the silent streets, besides our footsteps against the concrete tiles.

"Well I sure as hell don't want to be out with a creep like him." I muttered and scratched the back of my neck in nervousness. Suddenly Akame shoved us behind the wall with her hands over our mouths. I was about to say something when the running of feet caught my ears.

"It's the Capital's City guards. Even these guys have shown up...we need to be careful." She warned us and removed her hands. Nodding in agreement we trailed after her in silence. Something in the atmosphere was bothering me and I kept glancing around wearily. What I failed to notice was the silhouette of a man standing on the rooftop looking down at us.

"Hnnn...In addition to serial killers, now professional killers show up." Zank chuckled with glee as he looked at the vicinity. "My, what a dangerous city this is, hehe...Now then which neck should I go after first?" Suddenly he snapped his fingers as if a light bulb lit up. "I got it! I should start with...the most delicious one!"

"Do you think he'll show up tonight?" Tatsumi asked as he took a sip of his drink. We decided to take a break and lounge about outside a little shop.

"I wouldn't put it past him," I commented and took a sip of my drink. "I think he'll show up...eventually."

"Whether he decides to or not we still have to be on alert." Akame said with her eyes closed. Suddenly I stood up and excused myself, walking off to relieve myself in the restroom. After washing my hands I stepped out and looked to my right. All of a sudden time froze around me as the one person I would have never imagined stopped just a few feet away.

"Roan?" I stood there like a deer in headlight as I saw the man before me. He smiled and walked past me as if leading me somewhere. "Roan wait! Roan!" I rushed after him, calling for him. There was no doubt, my brother's smile, the color of his hair and eyes, there was no mistake it was really him. I followed my brother through many alleyways and ended up behind a church. He just stood there, waiting for me with that warm smile.

"I don't believe it, you really came back to me!" I threw myself at him and gave him a hug, so happy that he returned to my side.

"How passionate." A voice spoke and my body ran cold; it definitely didn't sound like my brother at all. Nervously I glanced up to see this guy staring back down at me with crazy eyes and a wide grin. "It seems I showed you something nice...Good evening."

"Uwaaaaaaah!" I scrambled back and pointed a shaky finger at him, "Brother turned into a creepy old man!"

"Rather than call me 'Creepy old man', I would prefer...you affectionately call me Zank the Beheader." He crossed his arms across his chest like an X with sharp blade protruding from his sleeves, they must be attached to his arm. I knew full well that I was at a complete disadvantage since I don't have a weapon; even my options were limited and Zank knew it.

"You've been separated..." He pointed a blade in my direction. "If you wait, they'll eventually show up...But will you live long enough for that to happen..? Is what you are thinking right?"

_What the hell? He's reading my mind. _I looked at him closely and noticed that something wasn't right with him. _Wait that eye...a Teigu?!_

"Bingo!" Zank exclaimed with happiness. "Teigu 'Spectator'. One of its five sight abilities, 'Insight' can read your thoughts by seeing your facial expressions, body language, and stuff like that. Think of it as an extreme form of observation."

"Therefore backing up my statement that you are a creepy old man! I should call you a pervert as well!" I snapped angrily.

"If I get questions about you right, can I turn you into a shrunken head?" He asked.

"Bastard I like to see you try! In fact why don't I rip that mouth off since you like to talk so damn much!"

"Talking is one of my hobbies after all. I used the power 'Farsight' to find you. Whether it's night, or foggy, I can see you clear as day!" He side-stepped as I lunged forward with a punch followed by a kick to the head, which he dodged at the last second. "Completely useless." He pointed to the eye on his forehead. "I can see everything going on in your head with my Teigu."

_I should have known!_ I berated myself as I hopped back to create some distance between us. It didn't last long when he closed the distance and started swinging his arms, his blades whistling through the air towards my body. My legs jumped and moved out of the way while my eyes tried to keep up with his upcoming attacks.

"That's good. The young are so upfront and honest. I like you, Kid!" He howled as he continued to slash with his blades. I dodged them the best I could but I can feel the blades slash through my clothes and spraying my blood into the air. I stumbled back and panted, watching as my blood dripped to the ground from the many slashes on my body.

"Happy, Happy~" He sang as he watched me carefully. "I think I've hurt you just about enough now. I love hearing someone beg for their life with that sort of look on their face. So I was careful not to damage you too much." There was some sort-of sick twisted love in his voice that I inwardly gagged.

"Now, beg for your life! You may even be able to buy enough time for your friends to show up." He bellowed, his true psychotic nature practically exploding from his facial expression.

"Don't be stupid." I replied as I shook the pain from my mind. "There's no way in hell that I would beg my life to a loser like you, to a scum bag like you. I control how I want to live my own life and no one has the right to tell me how so you can go and suck it." He just stood there in silence, probably taking in my little speech.

"...ohh? Quite brave, aren't you?" He grinned, not many who stood before him were quite persistent as me so he was indeed amused at my bravery. "I'm sure your wounds are hurting. Yet it's as if you want a master of decapitation like me to help you commit suicide."

"Akame told me that when two Teigu users cross paths," I raised a hand to clasp my dog tag, my eyes closed. "one of them is bound to die."

"Wait...you have a Teigu?" This was actually the first time he failed to recognize that this was a battle to the death. "There's no way you have one of those, if you did I would've read it from your mind."

"I guess I was too scared at the moment to think about it...Now come Zank." I held my right arm out to the side, feeling the power flow through my veins and collected into my fist. "Let's see with this last attack which Teigu is the superior one."

"Marvelous!" He laughed with his arms up in the air. "Splendid! I have never felt so much happiness!" He glowered at me, all laughter aside. "I accept your challenge and when we're done..." He ran forward with his blades right by his side. "I'm gonna add your head to my collection!"

_Roan please give me strength._ I said in a quick prayer and ran forward, my right fist pulled back ready to deliver Heavenly Flash. "My brother's death was the toughest event I had to witness and you had the audacity to bring his image back to me. I should thank you though for letting me see him one more time." We met in the middle and the entire area exploded, kicking up massive amounts of dust and debris. Tatsumi and Akame rushed to the scene, covering their eyes when the dust clouds rained upon them. When the smoke cleared, Zank and I were locked at a stand-still, both of his blades impaled my stomach while my right fist connected with his face, no one breathed. Suddenly the head piece that covered his ears shattered and he coughed up blood. Feeling his blades being slowly dragged out of my body was agonizing but I watched as he fell back onto the ground in defeat, his face pointed up to the sky.

"You can't hear the voices of those you killed anymore...right?" I asked him.

_The voices...stopped. _"Happy...happy." He smiled for once, a genuine smile. "I am thankful to you." With that he passed away in peace and I watched over his body for a little longer. His soul was free from his bindings as an executioner, he doesn't have to kill anymore.

"Sonya!" I turned around to see my friends running up to me. I took a step forward and collapsed into Akame's arms, my strength drained from my body entirely.

"Is she gonna be okay? She looks bad with all those scratches!" I heard Tatsumi's worried voice.

"She's gonna live don't worry Tatsumi." I heard her reply before I fell unconscious. I woke up in my own bed with bandages around my body. Looking over I noticed that someone stitched up my clothes, it was probably Sheele but who knows, that airhead couldn't possibly know how to stitch clothing in the first place. Stumbling out of bed while growling with slight pain, I shuffled out into the open and walked to where the little graves were. I noticed there was another rock beside the two and realized that Tatsumi probably put it there for Zank. How considerate. I smiled and squatted down placing a small bundle of flowers for him. The wind brushed through my hair and I assumed that it was his spirit but just as it came it left, leaving nothing behind but my imagination.

"I see that your up and walking." Najenda said as I came back in and shuffled into the kitchen to grab a drink. "Of course you are still walking stiffly so don't over exert yourself."

"Yes Boss...Where did everyone go? Especially Sheele and Mein I haven't seen them around for awhile." I looked around for them but Boss waved her hand dismissively.

"They're out at the minute but you shouldn't fret about them."

"By the way Boss, remember when you gave us that book about Teigu? I never asked but which one, in your opinion is the strongest?" I watched as she slightly pondered her answer and slowly raised her robotic arm to her eye, the one that was covered with the eye-patch.

"Their use and compatibility change...but if it's my opinion...the Ice manipulation Teigu is the strongest. Luckily for us its user is currently busy conquering the Northern tribes."

_Something must've happened in her past...better not push it. _I watched as she started to stare off into the distance, calmly drinking the bottle I held in my hand.

* * *

_On the other side of town..._

"That Chibul guy was way too wary of attacks." Mein complained as she continued running.

"But in the end, it didn't cause too many problems." Sheele replied. A sudden flash appeared and the two Night Raid members dodged a potential attacker, their eyes focused on the person who stood before them once the dust cleared. It was one of the Imperial Guards as Sheele noted however this one was different.

"...I knew it." She spoke as she looked at the piece of paper in her hand. "It's the same face as the one on the wanted poster...you are definitely Sheele of Night Raid! And judging from the Teigu she has in her hand, the other girl is also a member of Night Raid. Hiding myself and waiting night after night was definitely worth it..." She grinned like a psychopath, her body shivering with cold delight. "Finally...I've finally tracked you down, Night Raiders! Imperial Guard Forces, Seryu Ubiquitous!" She released a large amount of energy and pointed a finger at her enemies. "In the name of justice I will absolutely make you evil-doers pay here and now!"

* * *

**A/N**: Hmm well I think I'll stick to Seryu's name as Seryu Ubiquitous, I know that she is also called Seryu Yubikitas...but idk.


	7. Chapter 7: Kill the Feels

**A/N**: Chapter 7 of _One final breath_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. Akame ga kill belongs to the rightful owner.

Special thanks to the reviewers, I truly appreciate it.

I have never _**NEVER**_ felt so pissed towards a character until I read the manga and watched episode 6 of this anime...luckily I already past the part in the manga where that piece of crap got what she deserved so I'm all good.

* * *

**Chapter 7: Kill the Feels**

"So you know who we are. Why are you here? I don't think you came here just to die..." Mein commented drily.

"No matter what happens, I will deliver justice! For my father who fell in the line of duty to villains like you! And for my beloved teacher who was murdered by you and your friends! You will never be forgiven!" The orange-haired soldier responded with a twisted smile.

"She's really intent on doing this, huh? Okay then," Mein scoffed, loaded Pumpkin up and pulled the trigger. "The first to strike has the advantage!"

"Kyuuah!" The dog-looking Teigu slid forward before his owner and shielded her from the bullets which didn't even go through his body.

"Mein, that thing's a Teigu!" Sheele said with a hint of worry once she figured out what he was.

"Seems like it but that's a Biological type, right...?" Mein questioned, her mind already racing to recall information from the Teigu book.

"Tonfa Gun!" Whipping out her weapons, Seryu fired a volley of bullets to which the two Night Raid members dodged effortlessly.

_I knew long distance attacks wouldn't work..._"Koro! Prey!" She ordered and Koro's teeth grew in size, drool dribbling down the corner of his mouth. He jumped at Sheele and she cut him down with her Teigu, spraying his blood onto the ground when he crashed. As she advance toward Seryu, she made a mistake of turning her back to him and he rose up once more, towering over her with an angry snarl. She was so shocked that she couldn't move her body until the sound of bullets jolted her out of her thoughts.

"Don't you remembered what was written in the book, Sheele?" Mein asked as she forced the dog back. "Biological type Teigu have a core hidden somewhere in their bodies. If you don't destroy that, it'll just continue regenerating." She gritted her teeth, "It doesn't have a heart, so even Akame's Murasame wouldn't be able to kill it."

"It would seem we have a somewhat troublesome opponent this time, huh." The purple-hair assassin said.

"Koro. Arms." At the command the giant dog's tiny hands grew into the length of giant sized arms with massive muscles.

"Gross..." Mein commented. "It looks like we don't have any choice but to do that, Sheele."

"I understand." She responded.

"Koro! Pulverize!" Seryu order, making the first move and Koro ran forward, his arms swinging with fast punches straight toward Mein.

"Mein get behind me!" Sheele stood fast before her partner and gripped her weapon in a defense position as Koro came towards her like a bulldozer. She cringed as she felt the punches rained down upon her. A sound of a whistle reached their ears and they noticed that Seryu had a whistle between her fingers.

"She's called for reinforcements...this is what I call being in a pinch!" She surged forward to meet Koro at the half-line. "Let's do this!" The pink-haired assassin aimed and pulled the trigger at close range. Parts of Koro were slowly melting off his body due to the immense power.

"Its power increased!? But...!" She saw that Koro only shrunk in size but was still standing.

"Shit!" Mein spat. "It's already started regenerating, what unbelievable life force..."

"Don't underestimate Koro's durability..." Seryu stated gleefully before Sheele appeared from behind the smoke cover. It threw the Imperial Guard completely off.

"The Teigu are just tools. All you need to do is kill its user to make it stop!"

_Was she aiming for me from the start?!_ Seryuu flinched as she raised her Tonfa guns for protection.

_I'll use my secret skill!_ "Ectasy!" A sudden light materialized, blinding the Imperial Guard for a few seconds. Sheele used that advantage to push Seryu back, jabbing at her with her giant scissors. Seeing that his user was in trouble Koro tried to run to her aid before a bullet blew off a chunk of his leg.

"Don't tell me you forgot about me." Mein said as he turned around to face her, Pumpkin smoldering from the fired bullet. "I won't let you go!" _It may be too strong for me to take down, even in a pinch...but keeping it occupied should be enough. _She thought as Koro dashed forward. _I can try to find its core by process of elimination._ Meanwhile Sheele and Seryuu were duking it out before the later lost her footing, leaving a room for opportunity that the purple-hair assassin didn't pass up. With one swipe, she chopped off one of her opponent's arms and closed in for the kill...or at least that was what she thought.

"Justice will always win!" Seryu roared as her sacrificed arm turned into a gun, not literally but it did have a gun coming out of the wound.

_Body Modification...?!_ Sheele thought as she continued to run forward.

"This is the trump card given to me by my captain!" Seryuu said as she trained her gun on her. "Take this!" A loud bang was heard but Sheele blocked the bullet with her Teigu before slicing the other arm clean off. The orange-hair landed on her butt with a stifled yelp as she tried to ignore the pain.

_Koro will overheat and be unusable a few months if I do this...but I have no choice!_ "Koro!" The dog's ears wiggled showing that he heard her. "Secret Skill, Berserker!" Immediately his fur changed to the color red and he looked more ferocious then before...and more ugly. Opening his mouth he let loose a loud roar, causing the Night Raid members to cover their ears. Using that delay, he reached out and snatched Mein with his hand and wrapped his fingers around her petite form.

"Mein!" Sheele turned in shock when she realized the situation.

"Crush her!" Seryuu cackled with insanity after having both her arms chopped off by Sheele's scissors.

"AAAHHHH!" Mein screamed when she felt her arms break under Koro's grip. Suddenly she felt herself falling and looked to see that Koro's massive arm laying on the ground beside her.

"Glad I could make it in time." The purple-hair assassin grinned which was short-lived when a shot rang out and bullet sized hole appeared on her chest. Turning her head slowly she noticed that Seryu had another trick up her sleeve, a gun hidden in her mouth.

"How did you like that? Execution of the just!" She grinned as Koro jumped forward and ripped the assassin's torso from her lower body.

"SHEEEELEEEEE!" Mein roared in anguish, gripping Pumpkin till her knuckles turned white. "How dare you do that to Sheele, I'll make you pay!"

"Ecs...tasy..." A bright light appeared and Sheele reappeared with her body still intact however she didn't have much longer to live, her eyes were slowly glazing over and her attack was getting sloppy.

"Sheele!"

"You need to get out of here now Mein." Sheele replied.

"That woman...she's still fighting in that state...?!" Seryuu watched with interest.

"But you..." Mein started to say but saw the expression on her partner's face. She was smiling. Gritting her teeth in anger and sadness, Mein fled and didn't look back, tears flowing from her eyes.

"Koro! Hurry up and put an end to her!" Seryuu shrieked as Koro held Sheele in his grip, glaring hungrily at her.

_Mein...I'm happy...I was able to be useful in the end...Night Raid...the place where I belong...It was really fun..._ In that instant her entire life flashed before her eyes, memories of being in Night Raid and meeting the new members, every single event that led up till now was a constant flow that couldn't be stopped. _I'm sorry...It looks like I won't be able to hang out with you guys again..._Sheele smiled faintly, tears flowing down her cheeks one last time before the jaws of death descended upon her. Her Teigu fell lifelessly to the ground as her physical body was being devoured. As the rest of the Imperial guards appeared, they came upon Seryuu's bloody body and Koro who was busy eating the rest of Sheele's corpse, only a bloody arm hanging limply from his mouth.

"Hey, Seryuu...are you alright?" One of her fellow soldiers asked her cautiously.

"Ahahaha...I did it...!" She crowed. "Even though she abandoned her evil comrade, I fought well...What a half-hearted person." She raised her chopped off arms to the sky, smiling. "Papa...I defeated the evil villain on my own! The light of justice shines upon the world! Ahahahaha!"

* * *

_Night..._

CRASH! I stared at the broken plate pieces on the ground, my hands trembling and I just stood there frozen; I just washed and dried those dishes too. Mein came home in tears, a broken arm and blood stains on her clothes to report that Sheele was killed in action. A member of Night Raid was brutally murdered and yet...we couldn't go off to get revenge. Even Tatsumi was silent during dinner after Bulat punched him for acting like a raving child...but who could blame him. I remembered from an earlier conversation that he met an Imperial Guard when he was out with Onee-san, it must've been her. Hanging up my apron I exited the kitchen and left, closing the front door. It was raining as I ran up the mountain path to the place where the Koga tuna lived. I sat down on the edge of the cliff and looked at the water below, my hair damp from the moisture. All I saw was my sad reflection looking back at me, those sad eyes staring gloomy at me. In my mind I could not find a decent memory of Sheele except when Tatsumi and I were training under her guidance or the time when we met her on our tour of the group. Other that those two events...nothing.

"Sheele..." I drew my knees up to my chest and watched as tears fell into the water, creating ripples off the surface. _Huh? Tears? _I reached up to touch the salty liquid and looked at them. It's been a while since I cried, the last time I remembered crying was at Roan's death. Sheele's death was no different and I just started to bawl; she was like a sister to me and even though we didn't have much time together I regarded her as such. I buried my head in between my knees to muffle my screaming voice. I don't remember how long I was there but it must have been awhile, my eyes had no more tears left to give; my throat had no more noise left to produce. In all honesty it felt good to let go of all the pent up frustration and sadness.

"Here you are." Akame's voice reached my ear and I just looked at her from the corner of my eyes, not bothering to face her directly. Her clothes were wet, probably because she was looking for me through the rain. " The Boss is about to give a little speech and wants everyone present." She walked over and sat by my side, the two of us staring at the waterfall before us in silence.

"I should have known that this kind of work would have its ups and downs." I spoke after a few minutes. "But...Sheele didn't deserve to die like that."

"She knew the risks when she joined. In fact this kind of thing could happen to any of us, we aren't immortal beings." was all that she said and I couldn't help but tighten my grip. This idea that Sheele died and us just accepting that was not correct. But as I thought about it there wasn't much that I could do, no amount of whining, crying or bitching could ever bring her back. She was gone for good.

"But...but..." I didn't know what else to say but Akame wrapped her arms around me and I felt better. Sometimes not saying anything at all is the best medicine in this situation. After awhile she stood up and offered me her hand which I accepted with a small smile. As we walked back, I looked over my shoulder and made a solemn promise that Night Raid will definitely find a way to get even with the Capital.

"Sheele's death was certainly not pointless." Najenda was saying as Akame and I joined them, I wiped the remaining tear stains on the sleeve of my jacket. "The Empire will now finally understand, it takes a Teigu to fight a Teigu." Everyone had a new-found anger for the enemy and it was quite clear that we had to step it up a notch. I even noticed that Mein had her left arm in a sling but she was determined to get revenge for her partner. "And now they will bring in more Teigu users to fight for them. But what this means for us...is that the chances to collect more Teigu will increase! Also this is the beginning of a life or death struggle, remember that."

* * *

**A/N**: So I'm pretty sure that Teigus aren't gender-based but I wanted Koro to be considered a male and not an 'it' otherwise it would be a real hassle to type 'it', 'it's' and 'its' all the time.


	8. Chapter 8: Kill the Imposters

**A/N**: Chapter 8 of _One final breath_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. Akame ga kill belongs to the rightful owner.

Special thanks to the reviewers, I truly appreciate it.

* * *

**Chapter 8: Kill the Imposters**

_Practice field (mountain)..._

I sat underneath the waterfall, with one leg crossed over the other like I was meditating, in just my undergarments. My eyes were closed as I practiced a technique that would help me focus and concentrate; breathing only through my nose and releasing it through my mouth slowly. As the water pounded against my back in a rhythmic fashion my mind wandered off to what happened this morning. I came down into the kitchen to see Mein trying to feed herself, her arm still wrapped in a sling. I watched as the food on her spoon fell off and dropped back on her plate with a dull thud. The pink-haired assassin gave it a blank stare before a pout formed on her lips.

"Mein." Akame quickly reached over the table, grabbed Mein's spoon and picked up the fallen food. She held the spoon up so that Mein could eat properly.

"Leave me be, I can eat on my own you know." Mein stated stiffly and looked the other way.

"I'm trying to help." came the whisper and after mulling it over, she caved in and allowed herself to be fed by her teammate.

_Sheele's death affected her harder than the rest of us. _I opened my eyes slowly, gazing at the water around me. _Akame was trying to act like normal but on the inside she was hurting just as much. _I rose and made my way back to the bank grabbing a towel to dry off the excess water. Putting on my clothes I proceed down the path back to the base and walked through the door, closing it shut.

"Welcome back." Akame greeted me as I walked into the room. "Tatsumi and Leone are out on a small mission so that's why they're not around." Nodding my head I sat down next to her and rested my head on my arms, releasing a sigh.

"Is there anything I can do today? You know like some mission or something?" I knew I was starting to whine but I haven't done any combat training lately and I sensed a shift in the air almost immediately. Since Sheele's death I spent some time in the mountains to myself, to think and meditate in peace so I was quite eager to do some fighting and loosen my stiff muscles.

"Since you're so eager to do something..." Akame tugged on my collar and I found myself outside in the training area. I looked up to see that she took up an attack position. "Come. I'll be your training partner to kill off time."

"Then please don't hold back." I did some quite stretching before taking a stance as well. "Here I come." I lunged forward, feigning a left hook with a right. Anticipating the attack with her mind, she grabbed my right hand and twisted around my body pulling my right arm straight behind my back with her. Keeping that arm locked she planted both her legs between my shoulder-blades and pinned me to the ground with her weight. I struggled in vain but she had a strong grip and I ended up hurting myself. After about 10 minutes of me groveling with my face in the dirt I stopped trying.

"Ack! I'm tapping...out...I'm tapping...out." I wheezed and patted her arm as a sign of defeat and that I was running out of air. She released me from the hold and helped me up, checking to make sure my right arm was okay.

"You're right, you have rusted a bit...ready for Round 2?" She chuckled with a twinkle in her eyes. I smirked back at her and tackled her to the ground. We rolled and scuffled in the dirt before she ended back up on top once more, straddling my hips and holding my legs in some weird wrestling move that hurt like hell when she pulled a certain way. I felt like my knees were about to be yanked out of their sockets if she added a bit more power.

"I...can...never beat...you Akame." I panted. She let my legs go and sat on my back in silence, her hands between my shoulder-blades with an amused look.

"Yo! We're back from our killings!" We heard Leone's voice and I jumped up suddenly which cause Akame to tumbled off my back, scurried inside and bawled the fighter over with an enormous glomp. Leone let loose a laugh as she wrestled me to the ground in a mock fight.

"Welcome back Tatsumi." Akame walked in after dusting off her clothes to greet the boy. He greeted her back as he calmly watched our fight. Leone held me tight and gave me a noogie, a grin on her face.

"I got cha' Sonya! It's Onee-san's win!" She stated happily and released me from her vice-like grip. I sighed ashamed that I was defeated so easily for the third time in a row today but I was happy because it gave me an outlet to release some energy.

"Tatsumi! You're back!" Bulat sauntered in and grabbed a fruit from the kitchen. "Are you ready for training?"

"You bet Aniki!" The boy's face lit up with excitement. "I made a promise to Akame that I wouldn't die so I'm always fired up for training!"

"Bulat would it be okay if I took Sonya to the mountains today?" Akame spoke up before the man dashed off. "She's been cooped up here for too long so I think a trip up there would be good training for her." He gave me a look that felt like an hour before looking at his companion.

"Sure I don't mind but you better look after her. You know what's up there. The time I took Tatsumi up there wasn't so bad because..." He started to blush, "I took such good care of him. I even carried him down when he got hurt."

"I'll look after her don't worry." Akame stated firmly.

"Good. Tatsumi, we're going to train in the dojo!" He called over his shoulder before disappearing to set up the equipment.

"I'll be right there Aniki!" Tatsumi shouted before turning to me. "Good luck Sonya. You'll be just fine." He said goodbye to Leone and Akame before he rushed off to be at the dojo with his mentor. Akame looked after them before walking up to me. I stared up as she placed a hand on my head and I felt as though she was a bit jealous at the connection between Bulat and Tatsumi.

"Nee-san, are you okay?" I asked her hoping to cheer her up if I called her that. I thought that something flashed within her eyes but it disappeared before I could confirm it.

"Let's go, you still have much more training to do if you want to catch up to Tatsumi. You might have the upper-hand in offensive ability but I think that boy will get stronger in no time." She said and there was a faint smile on her face. I guess that by calling her 'Nee-san' she felt better about our bond as mentor and student. I wasn't too worried if Tatsumi left me behind because I learn better at my own pace. _With Nee-san's teaching and guidance I'll get better...stronger._ I smiled to myself before following her out the door.

"I'll hold down this fort since Rabac is off doing his own thing and the Boss isn't back yet from her errands. Have fun!" Leone waved us off.

* * *

_Mountains..._

Now I know there's a path that led us to where the Koga fish lived but the path that Onee-chan took me on was completely different. Onee-chan walked ahead of me with her sword by her side while I walked a few steps behind her admiring the scenery.

"These mountains are really deep and it's getting really a bit foggy..." I squinted my eyes hoping to adjust my field of vision.

"This whole area is a fake mountain." Akame told me. "Being here is about as dangerous as being in the Capital." While I was spacing out, I felt something warm dribble down my cheek and my neck. Using my hand I touched the liquid and pulled back, seeing red on my fingers. Looking up I noticed a tree with one huge eye and rows of sharp teeth looking back down on me. One of its branches was an inch away from my face tipped with a thin line of blood where it grazed my cheek. It roared as it tried to attack me again but a swift cut from Onee-chan's Teigu killed it instantly.

"Tree beasts. Don't space out unless you want to get eaten." Akame held Murasame tightly, her eyes narrowed at the massive beasts around us. "This place is filled with dangerous creatures that are adept at camouflaging themselves. Having you fight the creatures here should raise your battle awareness by quite a bit! Don't slack off okay? We'll take the edible creatures to the nearby village so we're also doing a good deed, do your best."

"Yes Onee-chan."I cracked my knuckles and stood with Onee-chan as the beasts inched closer, my heart beating rapidly against my chest.

_Keep calm. Take a deep breath and let all your emotions go._ I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and released it slowly, feeling the beating slow down. I felt eerily calm as I re-opened my eyes. One of the beasts on my left lunged, its branch aimed for my blind spot but I whirled around and stopped the attack with my hand, my eyes narrowing in focus. Dashing forward I slammed both my palms against its body and unleashed a burst of energy from my hands which caused it to crashed into its buddies. It stood right back up with an angry roar prompting the others to follow suit and they swarmed us. I shared a knowing look with Onee-chan and we ran to meet them head-on.

* * *

_Capital Outskirts..._

A carriage followed by a squadron of soldiers marched through a snow covered town. The people who were living there were either dead or shivering from the cold as fresh flakes rained from the sky. Most of the houses were shabby buildings with broken windows or rotting wood. The market stands were empty and it seems like there wasn't any fire to keep warm.

"How terrible, this village as well, huh..." A man from within the carriage muttered as he glanced outside to the poor villagers. "A nation is said to be made up of it's people, and yet it's come to this."

"These poor people." A young woman spoke with earnest as she also glanced out the window. "I think you are heading into a nest of vipers by returning to the Capital, Father." Her father, former prime minister Chouri, glowered at the word 'Capital' and gripped his cane with firm hands.

"I can't just stay in retirement when there are people living like this. The country will be doomed. If it's like this, I will have to fight that minister to the bitter end!"

"And I'll protect you!" The woman replied with a smile.

"You've grown to be such a fine woman, Spear." Chouri praised his daughter. "I guess that gallantry is the reason you have yet to become a bride...?"

"Ah!" His daughter cringed before becoming flustered. "Th-That doesn't matter right now, does it!?"

"Sorry I asked." Her father replied once he realized that his daughter was starting to get a bit gloomy.

"What's this...?" She suddenly asked and they looked out the front window to see three silhouettes. They were wearing black jackets and grins were on their faces. Obviously they were awaiting the carriage and didn't seem to step out of the way.

"Bandits again?! Public order has fallen so far!"Chouri spat as his daughter opened the door.

"We will deal with them the same way as the last ones! Prepare yourselves!" At that moment, the soldiers behind the carriage stood ready with their weapons poised, Spear taking charge at the front.

"Daidara." One of the men in black spoke calmly.

"Yeah." Daidara replied, gripping his weapon tightly. Both sides stared intensely at one another before the princess shouted her orders.

"LET"S GO!" Unknown to the soldiers, Daidara wields a Teigu: Double-bladed Great-Axe Belvaac. In one fluid motion he cleaved the entire squadron of soldiers faster than a blink of an eye. Even Spear couldn't even follow the attack but felt the blade slash her stomach but she moved at the last minute so the wound wasn't deep.

_Too strong... My skills can't even..._Spear gasped as she clutched her wound as the dismembered bodies of her soldiers rained down around her.

"Heh...not bad, Onee-chan." She looked up to see a boy looking at her with an impressive look on his face. "You're pretty skilled to have escaped a killing blow from Daidara's attack. But..." He removed a knife from his jacket as a blush crept up his face. "Considering what I'm going to do to you, I'm pretty sure you'll wish you'd been cut in half."

"Y-You're soldiers and officers of the Empire...!" Chouri stammered as he looked up at the towering man. While his daughter and her group were fighting, the carriage got cut in half and the former Prime Minister fell out into the snow.

"Correct." The man bowed, "I am a great admirer of your political works, Sir."

"Th-Then why are you coming after me?!"

"Because, above all..." There was a swoosh sound and the former Prime Minister's head was cut clean off, his eyes still bugged out in terror. "Our Master's orders are absolute!"

"Fifteen people defeated, is it? All right! The value of this experience will lead me to become stronger!" Daidara hoisted Belvaac in its rightful place as he checked out his handy-work.

"Spread out the leaflets! Help me out Daidara." The other man started throwing the papers into the air as his companion did the same.

"We're being used as the hand of the Minister, eh..." Daidara commented as he tossed paper left and right.

"Well he has always been accused of getting rid of his political opponents. However, the hand in this will appear to lead to the officials under the protection of grand-general Budou."

"Ohhh, that's right! That's why it's our turn to act, right?"

"Didn't we explain this to you before...?"

"Hey, hey! River, check it out, look!" A childish voice shouted as the boy hurried back to his friends in excitement. Stopping in front of them he held up his hands with a smile. " Ta-Dah! My collection has increased!" He held up the skin of Spear's face, stuck in a sad or fear expression. Her blood was running down the empty eye-sockets as if she was crying and it resembled a theatrical mask with fresh blood staining the edges; he skinned her face completely off the muscles.

"Nyau has such a disgusting habit." Daidara commented as he tried not to hurl. Out of the 'Three Beasts', Nyau is the most sadistic member of the group, feeling joy in collecting human faces of his victims while they were alive. He was one sick son of a bitch.

"You made sure to properly kill her, right?" River asked after finding his voice.

"Ahahahaha. She died halfway through from shock!" Nyau laughed as he looked at the girl's body. Where her face used to be was just a bloody mess. The snow around her was completely drenched in rich red blood and her hat laid in the snow beside her. It was so brutal that the others found it repulsive to even look at the work.

"Good. Let's head home. To celebrate this success, I'll cook dinner!" At River's statement the other two cringed.

"P-please, you really don't need to, do you?!" Nyau shivered with fright.

"Your cooking has the same destructive power as the average Teigu!" Daidara added. "Come on! It even caused Esdese-sama to pass out for a few minutes!"

"It'll be fine this time." River answered as if he had full faith in his food. "I'll use a subtle seasoning with the saliva of the evil bird." The three of them walked back home leaving their massacre behind. On the ground amiss the bloody bodies and red snow, the leaflets depicted an image of an Owl and Moon insignia with a few scribbled words on the bottom:

Heaven's Judgment, delivered by Night Raid.


	9. Chapter 9: Kill the 'Three Beasts'

**A/N**: Chapter 9 of _One final breath_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. Akame ga kill belongs to the rightful owner.

Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story.

* * *

**Chapter 9: Kill the 'Three Beasts'**

_Night Raid base..._

"Everyone is here." Najenda spoke after she called a special meeting the moment she returned from her business trip. She didn't look happy so we knew something awful happened. "I have three pieces of bad news to relay...listen carefully. First, I can no longer contact the local team." At that statement Bulat and Akame tensed up immediately.

"Local Team?" Tatsumi asked while I tilted my head in confusion.

"The Empire is vast." Akame explained. "We specialize in carrying out assassinations in the Capital, but there is another team that handles the areas around it."

"It's currently being investigated, but the likelihood that they are dead is high. So be prepared for that...For the time being, I think it may be necessary to strengthen security around the hideout." Boss continued.

"I'll increase the range of my threads." Rabac spoke up.

"Secondly," Najenda paused as if this next information was the most dangerous piece of information for our group and she is correct about it. "Esdese has finished conquering the North and she has returned to the Capital." The atmosphere chilled immediately at the name 'Esdese'. Tatsumi and I exchanged a look and knew that this person was dangerous and must be eliminated immediately.

"That was much faster than anyone thought it would be." Akame said with worry.

"God, she's always causing so much trouble!" Rabac shook his head with disappointment.

"It seems her army was left in the North to keep watch, though." Boss muttered as if that was some kind of good news.

"Then it's safe to say that she wasn't suddenly brought back to deal with the Revolutionary Army, right?" Bulat asked.

"I can't figure out what her next move will be. Currently, it seems she is throwing herself into her work at the Government's torture facilities." Najenda lit a cigarette and took a deep breath. "Leone, I want you to go to the Capital and observe her movements. Take Sonya with you."

"Roger! I've always wanted to know what type of person she is, after all." Onee-san said it casually as if she actually wanted to be the ice queen's best friend.

"She's a homicidal maniac who enjoys slaughter. Be on your guard." Najenda warned before saying the last piece of news. "Lastly, there has been a string of murders in the Capital, the targets are Civil officials. The deaths include 4 officials and 61 body-guards. The problem is..." She held up a flier with the Night Raid insignia on it. "These posters claiming to be from Night Raid have been found at all the crime scenes."

"They're framing us for the crime? It's easy to see they're fakes, right..?" Bulat said with disgust.

"But that's obvious, isn't it?" Tatsumi spoke up, "I mean, for us to suddenly start claiming responsibility seems a bit far fetched."

"That's what I thought for the first and second cases too, but...now it seems that it could have been us." Najenda replied.

"Why?" He asked her.

"After each incident, the officials have increased security. Even so, they are still being killed. In the last incident, the former Prime Minister Chouri and around 30 highly skilled guards were all massacred. As well as his daughter who was a disciple of the Imperial Fist Temple's master. No one but us could accomplish something like this-is the popular opinion. The criminals are just as powerful as us..."

"You mean there were Teigu users?" I asked. It made perfect sense.

"Those who were killed were good people who wanted nothing to do with the current Prime minister. They were people who made the minister feel ill at ease. In other words, the Prime minister is getting rid of his enemies and having Night Raid take the blame."

"Could this also be a trap?" Bulat said with concern. "To lure out the real Night Raid?"

"I realize this could be a trap...but I wanted to inform you anyway..." Najenda leaned forward in her chair with a stern look on her face. "The officials who were killed were all highly skilled people who opposed the Prime Minister...and would have nothing to do with the Rebel army scouts. They cared only for their country. Good people like these officials will be essential in creating our new country. We cannot afford to lose any more of these talented people! I think we should head out and crush this group of fakes! What are your opinions on this?" She looked at each and every one of us with a stoic glance.

"I...I don't really understand stuff like politics, but..." Tatsumi clenched his hands tight into a fist. "using Night Raid's name to commit these crimes just makes me sick!"

"Let's destroy those imposters and show them the actually strength of Night Raid." I added in agreement. The two of us smiled at one another while the rest of the members shook their heads in approval.

"Ahahaha! Well said!" Boss praised us with a smile as she donned on her Night Raid jacket. "We have decided then to teach those fools the Law of Assassins! There are about five officials who we suspect are being targeted. Of those five, only a few have plans to leave the Capital soon. We have narrowed it down to two officials..." Her gaze swept over us as she did some quick calculations in her mind. "Akame and Rabac...Tatsumi and Bulat will provide protection for them!"

"Where does the official we need to protect plan to go?" Tatsumi asked.

"The outskirts of the Capital." Najenda said, "He plans to board the ship that is anchored at the start of the Grand Canal. The massive luxury liner, 'Ryuusen'." Nodding, the four assassins left base and split up to protect their designated person. When Tatsumi and Bulat laid eyes on the boat they stared at it in shock; the thing was like COLOSSAL size!

_This ship looks like a fortress...and this is where we're going to ambush the imposters?! _Tatsumi thought with doubt as Bulat used his Teigu's ability to stay invisible. Unknown to them, three cloaked figures silently walked passed and boarded the boat before anyone else. Once they boarded the boat, Tatsumi used his cover as the 'son of a wealthy family' to keep an eye on the old man.

"It looks like we've come up empty." He said to himself and earned a hit from Bulat. "Ouch! Aniki!"

"Don't think like that Tatsumi, always stay vigilant." Bulat told his pupil sternly. "Just because nothing's happening doesn't mean you can slack off."

"Right. I'm sorry Aniki." The boy apologized while his mentor went to check out the inside of the ship before his invisibility wore off. Suddenly a flute sound caught his attention and he stood really still before the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Whipping out his sword he blocked an attack from Daidara who looked a bit surprised.

"Even with the effects of Nyau's Teigu, you can still move your limbs ever slightly. Perfect! I'll get a lot of experience out of this!" The man cackled as he pulled out his Teigu and threw them across the deck. Tatsumi dodged them with his stiff limbs but didn't know that the weapons came back to its owner so his back got slashed. Noticing this pattern after a few throws, he waited for his chance for the brute to throw his weapon once more, ducking at the last minute so that the weapon flew over his head.

"I have you now!" Tatsumi roared as he dashed forward with Daidara's axe behind him. He planned to use his opponent's weapon against him and he smiled as he imagined his sure-chance victory.

"YOU IDIOT!" Bulat stepped in and punched Tatsumi, watching the boy crash to the ground. "DON"T PLAY YOUR OPPONENT"S GAME!"  
"Hmm...he's a lot more experienced than that kid." Daidara watched unamused as Bulat continued to scold his pupil. "You shall be my opponent!" He jumped towards Bulat who just looked at him calmly.

"Watch closely Tatsumi," he said as Daidara approached, "this is how I battle."

* * *

_Capital..._

Leone Onee-san and I left after the four assassins and roamed around before spotting our target sitting at...an ice-cream shop. Out of all the stores in the capital I would have thought that she would be somewhere more...private and cool. I had my hood pulled up over my head so it masked my face and I peered over the roof top to take a closer look. She had really long blue hair and probably blue eyes. A blue scarf was resting around her neck while her high-heeled boots tapped the ground softly. A General's hat with a cross symbol shielded her eyes from view. In a way I think she's like a wolf in sheep's clothing by acting innocent and beautiful on the outside while hiding her sadistic and ruthless on the inside.

"Onee-san, what's that mark on her chest?" I whispered out of curiosity and when I got no answer I turned to see that her body was ridged, her lion-like gaze fixated on her prey. Sweat was slowly rolling down her face and dripped onto the roof-tile. I quietly crawled over and placed a hand on her shoulder, tearing her gaze away from the enemy. "Onee-san? What are you thinking?"

"Ahaha..." She laughed lightly and shook her head. "I thought I could take her on since I was in my Beast form but...Onee-san miscalculated the enemy. She reeks of evil and murderous intent...even her eyes are filled with dark sadistic humor. As an answer to your question, that mark on her chest is actually a tattoo, the proof of her Teigu, Demon's Extract."

"Demon's Extract?" I tilted my head in confusion.

"It's as the Boss said, it's the strongest Teigu." She peered over for one last glance before shivering. "We can't stay here, let's go. " She clenched her hands and muttered, "It's frustrating but I have to trust my instincts this time. If we jump her now I guarantee we're not gonna get out of there alive."

"...Okay." I whispered, taking one last look at the General before leaving with Onee-san, our footsteps made no noise on the roof-tops as we ran off.

"Hmm?" The Ice Queen looked up after taking a small bite of her ice-cream. "Those presences disappeared...So they didn't take the bait. Pity." She continued to lick the dessert of the cone, "I wanted to try some new torture techniques. This is...delicious." She looked up at the sky in thought. "When their mission is over...I'll have those three try this..."

* * *

_Night Raid..._

"What...did you just say..." Onee-san and I returned to base after a slight detour just to receive extremely sad news. Tatsumi was in tears with Bulat's Teigu clutched tightly in his arms, his clothes blood-stained and dirty. The entire Night Raid group stood silently as Boss sat in her chair with her eyes closed. Their mission was successful at the price of a life and Sheele's death popped into my mind the minute I heard of Bulat's passing.

"...I'm gonna go to my room." Tatsumi muttered and shuffled off. We heard his door close a little hard and looked at one another.

"This was the second member killed in action..." Najenda said and rose from her chair. "You guys are dismissed." She walked off and disappeared. Rabac and Mein sat at the table in silence, Akame went into the kitchen to think and Leone leaned against the wall with a far-away gaze. I left the room and wandered outside to where the little graves were. I noticed that a small mound of dirt with a small bundle of flowers laid next to the three graves and knew that it was for Bulat. I sat down with my legs crossed and just gazed at them while feeling sadness bubble up within me. I felt like screaming, I felt like crying but nothing came out.

_Of course, Tatsumi was the one who is deeply hurt. His best friends where killed and now his mentor was killed._ I thought, how could I carelessly think that I was the one who was hurting when there was clearly someone else. I gazed up and watched the sky above me, the vast sea filled with stars that twinkled. Feeling enraged I bit my lip and slammed my fist against the ground.

"Damn it." I growled, my tears dropped to the ground. "Damn it. Damn it. Damn it!" I struck the ground at each word until I didn't feel like beating the earth and just sat there breathlessly. My fingers clasped around my dog tag and I reminded myself that my goal has yet to be fulfilled: To obliterate the Capital. I stood up and looked out to where the Capital was, my gaze darkened like I was trying to burn a hole through its walls.

_With my life and on the honor of Night Raid, I will annihilate you. _


End file.
